Femur 3D-DXA Assessment in Female Football Players, Swimmers, and Sedentary Controls

Abstract

Cortical and trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), cortical thickness and surface BMD (sBMD, densityto- thickness ratio) were analyzed in the proximal femur of elite female football players and artistic swimmers using three-dimensional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (3D-DXA) software and compared to sedentary controls. Football players had significantly higher (p < 0.05) vBMD (mg/cm3) in the trabecular (263 ± 44) and cortical femur (886 ± 69) than artistic swimmers (224 ± 43 and 844 ± 89) and sedentary controls (215 ± 51 and 841 ± 85). Football players had also higher (p < 0.05) cortical thickness (2.12 ± 0.19 mm) and sBMD (188 ± 22 mg/cm2) compared to artistic swimmers (1.85 ± 0.15 and 156 ± 21) and sedentary controls (1.87 ± 0.16 and 158 ± 23). Artistic swimmers did not show significant differences in any parameter analyzed for 3D-DXA when compared to sedentary controls. The 3DDXA modeling revealed statistical differences in cortical thickness and vBMD between female athletes engaged in weightbearing (football) and non-weight bearing (swimming) sports and did not show differences between the non-weight bearing sport and the sedentary controls. 3D-DXA modeling could provide insight into bone remodeling in the sports field, allowing evaluation of femoral trabecular and cortical strength from standard DXA scans.