Quantitative peripheral computed tomodensitometric study of cortical and trabecular bone mass in relation with menopause.

Changes in total, cortical and trabecular bone mass were studied using quantitative peripheral computed tomodensitometry on the forearm of 58 normal eugonadal premenopausal women and 116 normal postmenopausal women to evaluate the evolution of bone components with age. In premenopausal women, no changes were seen in any bone component. In postmenopausal women, only trabecular bone mass diminished in the first 5 years after menopause (P < 0.05). It continued to decrease in the next 5 years (P < 0.05), but not later. Cortical bone mass experienced a significant loss 6-10 years after menopause (P < 0.001), and more than 15 years after menopause (P < 0.0005). These results are similar to those obtained with other techniques, and document the differing behavior of the cortical and trabecular bone components with years of menopause.