Bone mineral density measurement in the Gruen zones using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry

Aims After total hip arthroplasty (THA), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is used as necessary to assess the bone mineral density (BMD) in the Gruen zones around the femoral stem implants. Although periprosthetic BMD may serve as a potential indicator for evaluating stress adaptive remodelling and stem fixation, several factors can introduce measurement errors. Therefore, an automated method was applied using quantitative CT, verified for the total hip with correlation coefficient > 0.9, for BMD assessment in the Gruen zones. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 71 hips from 58 participants (9 male and 49 female) who underwent THA using the same taper-wedge type stem. Preoperative and postoperative CT scans were acquired alongside DXA measurements of the Gruen zones. A deep-learning method was used to measure BMD in the Gruen zones from preoperative CT images by embedding the stem position information acquired from postoperative CT images through iterative closest point registration. CT images were rotated to the neutral position and were projected anteroposteriorly to generate a digitally reconstructed radiograph to measure the BMD at each zone (CT-aBMD). Correlations between CT-aBMD and DXA measurements were assessed for each zone. Results The correlations between CT-aBMD and DXA measurements for zones 1 to 7 were 0.924, 0.783, 0.817, 0.921, 0.731, 0.847, and 0.677, respectively (p < 0.001 for all). Conclusion Our results based on CT analysis suggest that DXA is generally reliable for assessing BMD in the Gruen zones. However, caution may be advised for zones 5 and 7 because of limited correlations. As zone 7 plays a crucial role in stem fixation, during longitudinal evaluation of post-THA stress adaptive remodelling, we recommend ensuring cautious interpretation and consistent BMD measurements using the image attached to the DXA report. It is imperative to calculate the least significant change for accurate BMD evaluation. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2025;14(10):850–859.