[Radiologic, densitometric, morphologic and electron microscopic study of osteoporosis and osteopenia in the third lumbar vertebra in men and women in the city of Mexico].

OBJECTIVE

To determine bone density in the third lumbar vertebra in a group of men and women from the Mexico City correlating the morphometric characteristics of vertebral body by specific techniques and to detect groups with alterations like osteoporosis or osteopenia.

METHODOLOGY

The study was made in third lumbar vertebra from 23 patients dead of the Medical Service Forense-México, 8 women between 31 to 72 years old and 15 men between 25 yo 62 years old. The studies were: Radiological, bone densitometry and by image in which was determined density of vertical and horizontal trabeculaes. With x-ray technique in scanning electron microscopy was determined in form semiquantitative the presence of Ca, P, Mg and Na, and Ca distribution by technique of x-ray energy dispersed.

RESULTS

In the radiological trail all vertebras of the female group were abnormal, the major finding was degenerative feature; 5 Showed trabeculation increased 3 fractured; in the males group 7 patients were normal, degenerative fracture in 8; of these six had densitometry with DEXA; in the females group only one was normal, 3 osteopenia, 5 osteoporosis; in the male group: 5 osteopenia and 5 osteoporosis. Scanning electron microscopy examination exhibit a homogeneous and dense expression pattern, wherever SEM demonstrated the absence or decrease of deposit calcium in osteoporosis. A morphometric examination of the trabecular thickness demonstrates a difference between the two sexes. The normal median was 222.1 microns, the osteoporosis range was 126.3 to 156.2 microns in the female osteoporosis, in male group was found two normal values with a trabecular density mean of 249.7 microns, in the last two cases one with osteopenia and the other with osteoporosis, the mean value was 186.4 microns.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, was demonstrated that the degenerative alterations in osteoporosis and osteopenia in young people are more frequent to respect other reports. The following observations require special emphasis either because they provide clues to the mechanism of altered expression of calcium: Genetic, ethnic, consume, sedentary and others.