Specifically, the researchers found that
assessing bone mineral density at the neck of the femur provided the best sampling data for determining age.
State of the art scanning equipment was used to
assess bone mineral density, shape and size of the tibia (the shin bone), and body composition.
To measure whether MHT influenced bone health, researchers used dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the participants» lumbar spine, femoral neck and hip to
assess bone mineral density.
The findings come from an analysis of data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures that
assessed bone mineral density and risk factors in 7,959 older women from 1987 to 1989.
Not exact matches
Forensic researchers at North Carolina State University have found a more accurate way to
assess an individual's age at death, based on the
bone mineral density of the femur.
«However,
bone mineral content and
density increase as we grow, then decline at a fairly steady rate once we reach adulthood — making it a potentially useful way of
assessing age,» Ross says.
The researchers think the skull is better for
assessing sex because it's not a load - bearing
bone, meaning it is subject to fewer outside forces — allowing forensic practitioners to detect
bone mineral density differences that result from an individual's biological sex.
Dr Kollmannsberger said: «The quantification we developed could be useful in
assessing bone quality during physiological development or pathological conditions of age, disease and pharmaceutical intervention, complementary to existing measures such as
bone mineral density.
Forensic researchers have found a more accurate way to
assess an individual's age at death, based on the
bone mineral density of the femur.
Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, forearm, hip, and whole body was
assessed at baseline and at the end of the study using dual - energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Additional studies
assessing the association between coffee consumption and
bone mineral density and fracture risk have also provided inconclusive results.