Purpose The monitoring time interval (MTI) is the expected time in years necessary to identify a change between two measures that exceeds the measurement error. Our purpose was to determine MTI values for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in normal healthy children according to age, sex, and skeletal site. Methods 2014 children were enrolled in the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study and had DXA scans of the lumbar spine, total hip, non-dominant forearm, and whole body. Measurements were obtained annually for seven visits from 2002 to 2010. Annualized rates of change were calculated by age and sex for all bone regions. A subgroup of 155 children ages 6 to 16 years (85 boys) had duplicate scans for calculation of scan precision. The bone mineral density (BMD) regions of interest included spine, total body less head (TBLH), total hip, femoral neck, and 1/3 radius. Bone mineral content (BMC) was also evaluated for spine and TBLH. Percent coefficient of variation (%CV) and MTI were calculated for each measure as a function of age and sex. Results MTI values were substantially less than 1 year for TBLH and spine BMD and BMC for boys ≤ 17 years and girls ≤ 15 years. Hip and 1/3 radius MTIs were generally 1 year in the same group. MTI values as low as 3 months were found during the peak growth years. However, MTI values in late adolescence for all regions were substantially longer and became nonsensical as each region neared the age for peak bone density. Conclusion All 4 DXA measurement sites had reasonable (< 1 year) MTI values for boys ≤ 17 years and girls ≤ 15 years. MTI was neither useful nor stable in late adolescence and young adulthood. Alternative criteria to determine scan intervals must be used in this age range.

In patients with early pregnancy loss, treatment with MVA as an outpatient with local anesthesia is an effective and safe alternative to EVA performed in a hospital with conscious sedation or spinal or general anesthesia. Treatment in the outpatient setting allows for a better physical and emotional quality of life postprocedure.