[Value of radiologic procedures in diagnosis of osteoporosis of the axial skeleton].

Lateral radiograms of the lumbar spine are compared with quantitative mineralometry of vertebral spongiosa done by computed tomography. In 82% of cases, conventional x-rays of the spine give hints towards an increased loss of bone mass. More than 50% of patients with osteoporosis verified by histology are primarily detected by quantitative mineralometry. There is no strict correlation between the severity of osteoporotic disease and the level of mineral content of bone. Conventional x-radiographs of the spinal column are indispensable for estimation of the degree of osteoporosis. Mineralometry can monitor the course of the disease - either to recognize the onset of osteoporosis or to control therapeutic effects. Mineralometry is of less value in primary, early detection of osteoporosis.