Metacarpal morphometry and radiogrammetry are the oldest methods for quantitative assessment of the skeleton. The historical aspects of these measurements are reviewed. Although they were inexpensive and widely available and provided useful research and epidemiologic information, they were labor intensive and imprecise. They were replaced with the current established methods of bone mineral densitometry. With the application of modern computer vision techniques, metacarpal morphometric analysis has been rejuvenated, with improvement in precision and evidence that the method can be applied to studies in adults and children. Evidence for limited normal reference data and the ability to predict future fractures in osteoporosis and reflect activity and predict outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis are presented.
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