Affiliations: Department of Biomedical Research, Nemours/Alfred I.
duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA | Department of Medical Imaging, Nemours/Alfred I.
duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA | Department of Radiology, Jefferson College of
Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Heidi H. Kecskemethy, Nemours/Alfred I.
duPont Hospital for Children, P.O. Box 269, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA. Tel.: +1
302 651 4673; Fax: +1 302 651 4476; E-mail: hkecskem@nemours.org
Abstract: Evaluating the bone health of children with disabilities is
challenging and requires consideration of many factors in clinical
decision-making. Feeding problems and growth deficits, immobility/inability to
bear weight, effect of medications, and the nature of his or her disease can
all directly affect a child's overall picture of bone health. Familiarity with
the tools available to assess bone health is important for practitioners. The
most commonly used method to assess bone density, dual energy x-ray
absorptiometry, can be performed effectively when one appreciates the
techniques that make scanning patients with disabilities possible. There are
specific techniques that are especially useful for measuring bone density in
children with disabilities; standard body sites are not always obtainable.
Consideration of clinical condition and treatment must be considered when
interpreting dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans. Serial measurements have
been shown to be effective in monitoring change in bone content and in
providing information on which to base decisions regarding medical
treatment.
Keywords: Bone mineral density, disability, DXA, lateral distal femur
