METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING AND MONITORING OSTEOPOROSIS

A method for diagnosing and monitoring osteoporosis includes the steps of obtaining volumetric bone mineral density and cross-sectional area information of a bone of a patient utilizing computerized tomography, displaying the information in matrix image form wherein each pixel indicates the density of the bone tissue in the image area at that point, distinguishing pixels depicting bone tissue from the rest of the image utilizing a lower-limit criteria, calculating the mass distribution of bone tissue meeting and exceeding the criteria, and quantifying the condition of the patient's bone tissue as a function of the calculated mass distribution of bone tissue.