Bone Mineral Density Reference of 10-20 year-old Korean Children and Adolescents - Based on Hologic DXA from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys -

Purpose: To obtain normative data on bone mineral density of each region of interest (ROI) measured by Hologic model dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of children and adolescents. Methods: Cross sectional results from 723 healthy Korean children and adolescents (10-20 years of age) in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed. We used age- and sex-specific reference data for bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, femur neck, and total body except head from Hologic DXA device as recommended by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Results: The bone mineral density of each ROI increased with age in both boys and girls. Maximal increase in the lumbar BMD occurred between ages 11 and 12 in girls and between ages 12 and 14 in boys. However, the increases of BMD in each ROI were different. The plateaus of the lumbar spine and whole body except head BMD in girls occurred at ages 15 and 17, respectively. The plateaus of BMD in each ROI occurred at age 17 in boys. Conclusion: Most of the skeletal mass, including lumbar spine and total body except head, is reached before the end of the second decade. This study provides reference values for bone density of each ROI measured with DXA for children and adolescents. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol 2011;16:92-99)