This data set serves as a resource for correlating hand x-rays with bone mineral density (BMD) scans taken within one year of one another. The need for increased methods of screening for low BMD is needed. Therefore, we used this dataset to determine if hand and wrist x-rays could be used to screen for forearm osteopenia and osteoporosis. 

DXAs: DXA scans are of the hip, spine, and wrists.  There were prospective participants that had DXAs on a GE Healthcare Lunar iDXA scanner (GE Healthcare, Chicago, Illinois, USA) with enCORE software Version 16 (GE Healthcare, Chicago, Illinois, USA), retrospective chart review participants' DXAs were taken both on a GE Lunar DXA scanner and Hologic Horizon scanner (Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA, USA) with APEX software version 5.6.0.5 (Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA, USA). BMD and T-scores were calculated for the following locations: total AP spine (L1, L2, L3, L4, L1-L4), femoral neck (left and right), femoral trochanter (left and right), total hip (left and right), 1/3 distal forearm (left and right), most distal forearm (left and right), and total forearm (left and right). In one case, total AP spine was taken from L1-L3 instead of L1-L4 due to technical difficulties. Another patient did not have values from the right femur due to a prior fracture.

Cortical Percentage: The PA view of the available hand or wrist x-rays was uploaded into ImageJ for image processing. The mid-diaphysis of the second metacarpal was localized with the magnification function to optimize measurement. The observer chose the isthmus as the site along the second metacarpal by visually assessing the narrowest part of the cortex. The measurement tool was then used to measure the diameter of the second metacarpal at the isthmus (portion A). The second measurement was made parallel to this, at the same location, and only included the intramedullary component (portion B). We then calculated the cortical percentage by the following formula [(A-B)/A]x100(21). Measurements were confirmed by two independent raters.

Other data included: participants' age, hand dominance, and BMI (categorized into bins).