Normative Values of Bone Mineral Content and Bone Mineral Density Assessed by Double X-ray Absorptiometry in Congolese Urban Women.

Joseph Médard Kabeya Kabenkama^1,*, Jean Jacques Malemba²,Jean –Marie Mbuyi Muamba²

¹Department of Radiology, Kinshasa University School of Medicine and Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kinshasa University School of Medicine and Hospital,   Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

³Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Kinshasa University School of Medicine and Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Corresponding author’s address: *Joseph Médard KABEYA KABENKAMA / jmdkabeya@gmail.com / GSM : +243815994626

Abstract

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) have validated dual X-ray absorptiometry as the‘‘gold standard’’ densitometric technique for assessing bone mineral density and and the definitions of osteopenia and osteoporosis are based on its results  Loss of bone mass with ageing or osteoprosis leads to decline of bone strenght and fragility fractures.

there are racial/ethnic differences in bone mass parameters for populations of different ethnic origines altought  living in the same environmental

WHO criteria for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and the associated risks of fractures are based on bone parameters assessed by dual x absorptiometry  in postmenopausal Caucasian women

studies have showns the necessity to establish reference data for bone mass measurements for each population according to habit and ethnicity these data are lacking for congolese populations.

This study aims to establish spine and hip normative values in healthy congolese women population and to compare them with those for Caucasian,asian,and others etnical groups Materials and methods :

604 bantoues women were recruited after public media advertising and undergoes DXA of spine and hip.

To be included in the study, women must fulfill the conditions of absence of factor affecting bone metabolism.

Results : Bone mass parameters shows a growth up to the peak that is reached in the fourth decade followed by a slow decay that causes a loss of nearly 14.2% in BMD and BMC over a period of 20 years and, then a decrease more pronounced towards the sixtieth year ( 1.5% yearly),higher than among CaucasiansAsians and Arabs .We found that the references curves for the lumbar spine and total hip are significantly differents from the Caucasian,asean or arab

Keywords :Normative Values ,Bone Mass ,DXA ,Bone Mineral Density,Bone Mineral Content,Black women,Congolese