A survey of osteoporosis using the calcaneum as an index.

Two hundred radiographs of the calcaneum and 200 radiographs of the femoral neck from 100 persons were compared. A system of calcaneal grading, different from that earlier reported (8), was evolved which correlated significantly with the Singh Index (18). We found that resorption of secondary tensile and compressive trabeculae occurred before resorption of the primary trabeculae. Interruption of primary compressive trabeculae, which was previously described (8), is an inconstant feature. Our system using six grades is easier to correlate with the Singh Index. We found that osteoporosis increased progressively with age and was three times more common in females than males.