These issues may become important when interpreting the areal measurements used in DEXA. For example, observe the difference in the BMD from rotating a vertebra downwards:
Depending on the rotation, patients with scoliosis may appear to have higher or lower bone density than the actual value, if you could measure it in 3-dimensions.
Everybody has a different shape - - - this also applies to the vertebrae. Some people have short, squatty vertebrae, others are tall and narrow. This can be independent of size and cause errors not corrected with BMAD. I am going to add some diagrams and data to this page soon . . .
Updated 7/13/07
