Cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment of pre- and postmenopausal bone loss with a portable forearm X-ray device: The Ofely study

The aim of our study was to describe cross-sectional and longitudinal bone mineral decrease in pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal healthy women using a m onoenergy X-ray densitometer specifically designed for forearm assessment, Measurements mere performed on the most distal part of the radius (ultradis tal, 55% of trabecular bone and 45%, of trabecular bone), and on the distal part (distal, 13% of trabecular bone and 87% of cortical bone). A specific trabecular-rich region of interest (nROI) comprising two trapezoids region s of interest located proximally to the endplates of the radius and ulna wa s also investigated. From a large prospective study (OFELY study), 455 wome n were measured once a year for 2 years (three measurements). The proportio n of postmenopausal women classified as having osteoporosis (i.e., a T scor e <-2.5) was 33% for the distal region, 44% for the ultradistal region, and 45% for the nROI, No significant bone mineral decrease was found over the 2-year period in premenopausal women (n = 138), In perimenopausal (n = 48) women, a bone loss of 1% was found at the distal site. In the 269 postmenop ausal women, a significant decrease was observed at all sites, ranging from 2.14% for the nROI to 2.68% for the ultradistal part. Bone loss was greate r in the first 5 years after menopause in trabecular sites and decreased th ereafter. For the distal site, bone loss remained stable during the postmen opausal period. We conclude that this small and portable forearm densitomet er is suitable for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, and provides information on the rate of bone loss in peri- and postmenopausal women in trabecular an d cortical compartments of bone. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All righ ts reserved.