Peripheral quantitative computed tomography

In medicine, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, commonly abbreviated pQCT, is a type of quantitative computed tomography (QCT), used for making measurements of the bone mineral density (BMD) in a peripheral part of the body. It is useful for measuring bone strength.^[1]

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Comparison to DXA

Unlike most other common techniques for measuring BMD, a pQCT scan is able to measure volumetric bone mineral density, plus other measures such as the stress-strain index (SSI) and the geometry of the bone. DXA is only able to provide the areal bone mineral density.

See also

• Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

References

1. ^ Müller A, Rüegsegger E, Rüegsegger P (1989). "Peripheral QCT: a low-risk procedure to identify women predisposed to osteoporosis.". Phys Med Biol 34 (6): 741-9. PMID 2740441.