Broadband ultrasound attenuation in the os calcis: relationship to bone mineral at other skeletal sites

Abstract

1. We have examined the relationship between broadband ultrasound attenuation in the os calcis and measurements of bone mineral in the distal forearm and lumbar spine of normal and postmenopausal osteoporotic women. 2. Values of broadband ultrasound attenuation in postmenopausal women with vertebral osteoporotic fractures were significantly lower (35%) than in normal pre- and peri-menopausal women (55.4 +/- 3.8 and 79.6 +/- 0.8 dB/MHz, respectively). 3. Broadband ultrasound attenuation correlated significantly with bone mineral content measured in the distal forearm by single-photon absorptiometry (r = 0.77, P less than 0.0001) and with bone mineral content (r = 0.66, P less than 0.0001) and bone mineral density (r = 0.72, P less than 0.0001) measured in the lumbar spine by dual-photon absorptiometry. 4. Although significant, these correlations are not sufficiently close to be predictive. However, the accuracy of broadband ultrasound attenuation in discriminating between normal subjects and patients with vertebral fracture compared very favourably with direct measurements in the spine by dual-photon absorptiometry. 5. Broadband ultrasound attenuation, but not the other measurements, correlated significantly with age in the osteoporotic patients (r = 0.50, P less than 0.05). 6. These findings may reflect the partial dependence of broadband ultrasound attenuation on the intrinsic trabecular architecture of cancellous bone, the disruption of which contributes to an increase in fracture risk.

Use of quantitative ultrasonography in differentiating osteomalacia from osteoporosis: preliminary study.

“…KEY WORDS: Bone densitometry; Osteoporosis; Osteomalacia; Densitometry. 0.4 to 0.7 [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] and are higher when measurements are performed on the same skeletal site. 21 The purpose of this study was to utilize ultrasonographic techniques to differentiate qualitative alterations of bones with the same mineral content.…”

Ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus in normal subjects and in patients with wrist fracture

“…A high correlation ( r values from 0.6 to 0.8) between BUA of the calcaneus and BMD at the lumbar spine or at the femoral neck has been reported (Baran et al 1988, McCloskey et al 1990, Truscott et al 1992. The correlation between BUA and BMD at the distal radius is almost the same (Rossman et al 1989, McCloskey 1990.…”

“…The correlation between BUA and BMD at the distal radius is almost the same (Rossman et al 1989, McCloskey 1990. Most of these studies have included both normal subjects and osteopenic patients in the analysis, which may partly explain the high r values.…”

“…BUA values of postmenopausal women with vertebral osteoporotic fractures have been reported to be 35 percent lower than those in normal perimenopausal women (McCloskey et al 1990). In a prospective study, the risk of hip fractures was increased in elderly women with low BUA values (Porter et al 1990b).…”

Assessment of Bone Architecture with Ultrasonometry: Experimental and Clinical Experience

“…These systems were not, however, capable of directly investigating the elasticity and architecture of bone tissue, one of the main aims of ultrasound technology. Studies using these first-generation techniques were too often confined to examining the correlation between ultrasound values and bone mineral density (BMD) [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. …”