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Body Composition Analysis

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Bone Densitometry for Technologists

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Abstract

Most full-size central DXA densitometers have software options to determine body composition from a total body bone density study. This application was first developed for dual photon absorptiometers, but the almost 1-h scan time made such measurements clinically impractical. In contrast, today’s DXA devices can perform total body scans in a matter of minutes. In spite of this dramatic improvement in speed, body composition assessment with DXA remains an underutilized application.

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Notes

  1. 1.

     See Appendix H for conversion formulas.

  2. 2.

    This technique is also known as hydrostatic weighing or hydrodensitometry.

  3. 3.

    A perfect correlation would result in a correlation coefficient of 1.0.

  4. 4.

    See Chap. 7 for a discussion of the percent coefficient of variation and the number of subjects and studies needed for a valid precision study.

  5. 5.

    Chemical fat is actually a component of adipose tissue. Fat can be found in other tissues as well. Similarly, adipose tissue also contains protein, minerals, and water. The terms fat and adipose tissue are unfortunately often used interchangeably, even though they are not synonymous.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Center of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Sydney Lou Bonnick md, facp, ccd & Lori Ann Lewis mrt, cdt

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  1. Sydney Lou Bonnick md, facp, ccd
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Bonnick, S.L., Lewis, L.A. (2013). Body Composition Analysis. In: Bone Densitometry for Technologists. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3625-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3625-6_14

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