BONE MINERALIZATION OF CHILEAN CHILDREN D ETERMINED BY DUAL-PHOTON ABSORPTIOMETRY

In 198 schoolage children, aged 6 to 13 years, the bone mineral densit y (BMD) and total bone mass (TBM) was measured in total body, lumbar s pine and hip, using a double beam photon densitometer with a Gd 153 so urce. An increase with age of BMD and TBM was found in all the analize d areas. At 12 years of age, TBM and BMD of total body were higher in girls than in boys. BMD of lumbar spine was significantly higher in gi rls than in boys at ages between 11 to 13 years. BMD of lumbar spine a nd femoral neck of 9 years old females were 36% and 18% respectively, lower than values of young adult Chilean females. The importance of no rmal values of bone mineralization for the diagnosis of bone diseases and for the evaluation of programmes directed to solve this problems i s emphasized.