Effect of radiographic abnormalities on rate of bone loss from the spine.

When measured by dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA), the adjusted annual rate of change in bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine was 0.11 +/- 0.51 (SE)% in 44 healthy postmenopausal women with radiographic abnormalities in the scan field and -0.97 +/- 0.26% in 249 women with normal lateral lumbar radiographs (p = 0.046). Rates of loss of BMD from the radius were similar in the 2 groups. Spurious rates of loss of spine BMD are likely to be found in subjects with calcification of the aorta, osteophytes or other abnormalities in the spine scan field. This should be kept in mind when serial spine scans are being considered in these subjects.