A predictive analysis from bone mineral density among eutrophic Brazilian male adolescents

Osteoporosis is considered one of the most serious public health diseases and studies show that it is a pediatric disease that manifests during senility. It is usually diagnosed in clinical practice by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This exam has a high cost and it is difficult to apply to a pediatric population because specific equipment and special software are required. This study presents predictive equations to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) among male adolescents. To better predict the equations, some parameters were used as the bone age (by left hand and wrist x-ray), pubertal stages, weight, height and the lumbar spine and femur BMD from 61 healthy adolescents, ages 10 through 19 years. The prediction models were carried through analysis of multiple regressions stepwise. The results have indicated a prediction model for BMD with a coefficient of 0.87 and 0.80, respectively for the spine and the femoral regions. In conclusion, the results have confirmed that BMD depends on the skeletal age and the physical growth during adolescence. The proposed equations are easy to use, has a low operational cost, and the clarification rate is 75% and 65% for lumbar spine and femoral BMD, respectively.