Correlation between densitometric and hystomorphometric values in isolated vertebrae of Sprague-Dawley rats.

The study of bone mass in experimental animals usually requires invasive techniques. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) may be an alternative as a non-invasive method (1). Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of 62 vertebrae of Sprague Dawley rats (SDr) measured by DEXA densitometry were compared with histomorphometric bone volume measurements, and a statistically significant correlation was found (r = 0.79 and 0.75, respectively, p < 0.001). In conclusion, DEXA is an accurate and feasible technique for the study of trabecular bone mass in SDr.