Age Related Variation in BMD and Trabecular Architecture Differs Between the Proximal Femur and Calcaneus in Men Available to Purchase

Fragility fractures due to degradation of the bone tissue during aging or development of osteoporosis are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. A variety of factors contribute to the overall resistance of bones to fracture, e.g. the bone quality. Traditionally, bone mineral density (BMD) as assessed by the dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for osteoporosis diagnostics ¹. However, BMD alone is insufficient to explain fracture risk in patients ². Additional characterization of bone structural parameters may provide more insight into the predictive capacity of BMD with respect to bone structural parameters. Further, as various skeletal sites are used to assess bone status, differences in structural characteristics of skeletal sites should be addressed.