Mineralometry of the lumbar spine and histomorphometry of the iliac crest: preliminary results of a comparison of several parameters in the same individual.

Twelve patients affected with various bone pathologies (osteoporosis, renal osteodystrophy, osteogenesis imperfecta, hyperparathyroidism) were submitted to mineralometry of the lumbar spine with double photonic ray and transiliac biopsy for histomorphometry. A comparison of the values obtained for the mineralometric and histomorphometric parameters--despite the small number of cases--revealed a correlation between bone mineral content of the lumbar spine and trabecular and cortical bone volume of the iliac crest. The correlation is even more significant for the sum of these last two parameters. It may be concluded that: 1) both the methods have predictive values for an evaluation of osteopenia; 2) the measurement of cortical and subcortical bone volume increases the significance of the histomorphometric finding (which is usually limited to the trabecular bone volume); 3) there is a correlation between histomorphometry (iliac crest bone volume) and mineralometry (lumbar spine with double photonic ray) in the same individual.