BONE DENSITOMETRY IN CANADIAN CHILDREN 8-17 YEARS OF AGE

Normative bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) va lues for the total body (TB), proximal femur (PF), and antero-posterio r lumbar spine (LS) were obtained from a large cross-sectional sample of children and adolescents who were 8-17 years of age. There were 977 scans for the TB, 892 for the PF, and 666 for the LS; bone mineral va lues were obtained using a HOLOGIC QDR 2000 in array mode. Data are pr esented for the sub-regions of the PF (femoral neck, trochanter, inter trochanter, and the total region) and for the LS (L1-L4 and L3). Femal e and male values for the FN, LS (L1-L4), and the TB were compared acr oss age groups using a two-way ANOVA. In addition, we compared the 17- year-old female values to a separate sample of young adult women (age 21). At all these sites, BMC and BMD increased significantly with age. There was no gender difference in TB BMC until age 14 or in TB BMD un til age 16, when male values were significantly greater. Females had s ignificantly greater LS BMC at ages 12 and 13, but by age 17 the male values were significantly greater. Females had significantly greater L S BMD across all age groups, however. Males had significantly greater FN BMC and BMD across all age groups. There were no significant differ ences in BMC or BMD at any sites between the 17- and 21-year-old women .