The distribution of cortical and trabecular bone mass along the lengths of the radius and ulna and the implications for in vivo bone mass measurements.

The amounts of cortical and trabecular bone mineral mass were measured by means of microdissection and an ashing technique at approximately 2.5 mm intervals along the most distal 12 cm of radii and ulnae from four women aged 21, 43, 63, and 85. The data show that the distributions of mineral mass and percentage of trabecular bone are similar in both bones. At sites in the radius and ulna commonly used in the photon absorptiometric method of bone mineral mass measurement the percentage of trabecular bone varies between 10% and 50%. The percentage of trabecular bone in the most distal 10% of the length of the radius and ulna remains approximately constant with age but the percentage in the segment which lies between 30% and 40% of the length, measured from the styloid process, increases with age.