OBJECTIVE: To compare the new normatization of bone densitometry reports on findings at the level of the lumbar spine (L1-L4) proposed by International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) in 2005, with the classification of World Health Organization (WHO) that was routinely been utilized since 1994. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bone densitometry studies performed on the lumbar spine of 200 patients at Universidade Católica de Brasília and Hospital das Forças Armadas, Brasília, DF, Brazil, have been evaluated. Inclusion criteria were: female gender, age ranging between 20 and 49 years, and absence of spine morphological changes visualized on the images. The exclusion criteria were: women more than 50 years or menopausal women. RESULTS: Analyzing the bone densitometry reports under the WHO classification, 29 patients were found with osteoporosis, 76 with osteopenia and 95 within normality levels. On the other hand, according to the new ISCD 2005 classification, only 32 patients presented results "below the expected range for age", and 162 "within the expected range for age". CONCLUSION: Significant differences were found when comparing the traditional WHO densitometric classification versus the new one proposed by ISCD 2005. So, this new classification should be known and understood by physicians who request or perform bone densitometry studies, aiming at the correct interpretation, explanation and orientation to the patients.
Densitometry; Osteoporosis; Spine; Bone density
