The Utility of DXA Assessment at the Forearm, Proximal Femur, and Lateral Distal Femur, and Vertebral Fracture Assessment in the Pediatric Population: 2019 ISCD Official Position

David R Weber; Alison Boyce; Catherine Gordon; Wolfgang Högler; Heidi H Kecskemethy; Madhusmita Misra; Diana Swolin-Eide; Peter Tebben; Leanne M Ward; Halley Wasserman; Christopher Shuhart; Babette S Zemel

doi:10.1016/j.jocd.2019.07.002

The Utility of DXA Assessment at the Forearm, Proximal Femur, and Lateral Distal Femur, and Vertebral Fracture Assessment in the Pediatric Population: 2019 ISCD Official Position

J Clin Densitom. 2019 Oct-Dec;22(4):567-589. doi: 10.1016/j.jocd.2019.07.002. Epub 2019 Jul 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Golisano Children's Hospital, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
² Skeletal Disorders and Mineral Homeostasis Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
³ Divisions of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine and Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
⁵ Departments of Biomedical Research & Medical Imaging, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Wilmington, DE, USA.
⁶ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁸ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁹ Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁰ Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
¹¹ Swedish Medical Group, Seattle, WA, USA.
¹² Division of GI, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: zemel@email.chop.edu.

Abstract

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used in the evaluation of bone fragility in children. Previous recommendations emphasized total body less head and lumbar spine DXA scans for clinical bone health assessment. However, these scan sites may not be possible or optimal for all groups of children with conditions that threaten bone health. The utility of DXA scans of the proximal femur, forearm, and radius were evaluated for adequacy of reference data, precision, ability of predict fracture, and applicability to all, or select groups of children. In addition, the strengths and limitations of vertebral fracture assessment by DXA were evaluated. The new Pediatric Positions provide guidelines on the use of these additional measures in the assessment of skeletal health in children.

Keywords: Children; DXA; Forearm; lateral distal femur; proximal femur; vertebral fracture assessment.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Review

MeSH terms

Absorptiometry, Photon / standards*
Bone Density*
Child
Consensus Development Conferences as Topic
Femur / diagnostic imaging*
Forearm / diagnostic imaging*
Humans
Lumbar Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging*
Osteoporosis / complications
Osteoporosis / diagnosis*
Spinal Fractures / diagnosis*
Spinal Fractures / etiology

Grants and funding

K23 DK114477/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States