DISTAL METACARPAL BONE-MINERAL DENSITY BY DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY (DEXA) SCAN - METHODOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AND APPLICATION IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning was performed along the axis of the third metacarpal bone of the non-dominant hand and including m etacarpal bones 2, 3, 4 and 5. The Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was calc ulated for the distal 1/4 of each metacarpal bone. Ten patients with s eropositive, erosive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 10 healthy, sex- an d age-matched persons were investigated twice. The average BMD in RA p atients was 73.6% of the value found in normals. The coefficient of va riation on double determinations (in patients and controls) was 0.9 - 3.0%. We suggest that dual energy X-rav absorptiometry scanning with t he scanning procedure proposed here may be an important instrument for the quantification of disease progression.