Bone densitometry in assessment of bone mineral density

Osteoporosis is a serious disease characterized by low bone mineral density. Osteoporosis affects 24 million people annually and may be responsible for devastating hip, wrist and spinal fractures. Bone mineral density is considered the best predictor for osteoporotic fracture. Progress has been made toward noninvasive assessment of bone mineral density to provide early diagnosis of osteoporosis. A variety of methods are used to assess bone mineral density. These methods are presented and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is discussed in detail.