Final answer:
The statement that bone density determines handedness is false. Bone density adaptations result from repetitive use or stress, and while a person's dominant side may show localized increases, it is not a reliable indicator of handedness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that it is possible to determine if a person is left or right-handed by determining their bone density is false. While it is true that repetitive stress and use can lead to localized increases in bone density, it is not sufficient to use bone density as an absolute method to determine handedness. For example, a right-handed pitcher may indeed have thicker bones in their right arm compared to their left due to the stresses and adaptation from pitching, but this is not universally true for all activities or all individuals. Similarly, a right-handed cyclist might not necessarily have thicker bones in her right leg. Moreover, statements like 'a broken bone will heal thicker than it was before the fracture' and 'a bed-ridden patient will have thicker bones than an athlete' also outline the adaptive nature of bone depending on stress and healing, but do not provide a reliable way to determine handedness.
Techniques such as Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) are used to measure overall bone density and can differentiate between bone, lean tissue mass, and fat mass, but they do not provide information about handedness. Handedness can be inferred through evidence of the use of a dominant hand in creating and using tools and is related to brain lateralization, but not directly through bone density measurements.