Bone Health Program
Glossary
Body composition:
The division of soft tissue into fat and lean tissue, based on the patient's R-value. Body composition is sometimes referred to as tissue quantitation.
Bone density:
The ratio of bone mass to volume, indicating bone compactness. Bone density increases rapidly through adolescence, more slowly until age 35 and then plateaus and declines. Bone density is measured most frequently in the spine, hip, wrist, forearm and/or heel for the detection and diagnosis of osteoporosis.
Bone mass:
The amount of mineral in a bone. Although this is different from bone density, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Bone mineral density (BMD):
The quantity calculated by dividing the measured bone mineral content by the measured bone area in a densitometry study. The bone mineral density carries units of gram per square centimeter and is most often compared to reference population values.
DXA:
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. A type of bone density testing that uses X-rays to measure the bone density.
More info on DXA
Osteoporosis:
A skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing to an increased risk of fracture. Bone strength reflects the integration of two main features: bone density and bone quality. In children, osteoporosis is defined by both a low bone density measurement and evidence of skeletal fragility. (Rauch F, Plotkin H, DiMeglio L, Engelbert RH, Henderson RC, Munns C, Wenkert D, and Zeitler P (2008) Fracture prediction and the definition of osteoporosis in children and adolescents: ISCD 2007 Pediatric Official Positions. J Clin Densitometry 11:22-28
More info on osteoporosis
Peak bone mass:
A concept that bone mass has a maximal level given optimal conditions. Peak bone mass is believed to be controlled by genetic factors (age, sex and body size) and significantly impacted by environmental factors (nutrition, exercise and general health). The concept of peak bone mass is important to the study of bone disease in that if an individual achieves maximal (peak) bone mass, they may reduce the risk of serious bone loss.
