WHOLE-BODY BONE-MINERAL CONTENT IN HEALTHY-CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Data from healthy children are needed to evaluate bone mineralisation during childhood. Whole body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone area were examined by dual energy x ray absorptiometry (Hologic 1000/W) in healthy girls (n=201) and boys (n=142) aged 5-19 years. Gentile curves for bone area for age, BMC for age, bone area for height, and BMC for bone area were constructed using the LMS method. Bone mineral density calculated as BMC/bone area is not useful in children as it is signif icantly influenced by bone size. Instead, it is proposed that bone min eralisation is assessed in three steps: height for age, bone area for height, and BMC for bone area. These three steps correspond to three d ifferent causes of reduced bone mass: short bones, narrow bones, and l ight bones.