Ex vivo vibro-acoustography characterization of osteoporosis in an experimental mice model

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent multifactorial osteometabolic disease, classically diagnosed, in vivo, by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study evaluated osteoporosis, ex vivo, using vibroacoustography (VA), an elastographic technique based on ultrasound radiation force.Methods: Three groups of mice femurs were used: (I) control group (CG), (II) osteoporosis group (OG) and (III) treated osteoporosis group (TOG), in which the animals received pamidronate, an antiresorptive drug. Evaluation was performed in an acoustic tank, using two high frequency focused beams produced by a confocal ultrasonic transducer. A hydrophone registered the low frequency acoustic response (AR) of bone samples. We used micro-computed tomography (microCT) as the reference standard and evaluated the correlation between VA and microCT parameters. Results:The spectral analyses of the ARs with estimated area under the curve (AUC) values (mean; st. dev.) were, respectively, 1.29e -07 and 9.32e -08 for the CG, 3.25e -08 and 2.16e -08 for the OG, and 1.50e -07 and 8.37e -08 for the TOG. VA differentiated the experimental groups (P<0.01) and the results were reproducible [interclass correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.43 (95% CI: 0.15-0.71)]. There was also a statistically significant association between VA and microCT connectivity (Conn.) (r=0.80; P<0.01) and connectivity density (Conn. D) (r=0.76; P<0.01).Conclusions: These results encourage further studies aimed at evaluating the potential use of VA for the diagnosis of osteoporosis as a relatively low-cost and radiation-free alternative to DXA.

Technical note: Application and potentiality of quantitative ultrasonometry for the evaluation of bone mineral density status

“…A recent study has shown the potential of phalangeal Quantitative Ultrasonometry (QUS) for diagnosing osteoporosis on skeletal remains (Rinaldo et al, 2018). QUS is a reliable, portable, user‐friendly, and computer‐assisted clinical technique based on ultrasound waves propagation (Agnollitto et al, 2021; Baroncelli, 2008; Drozdzowska et al, 2005; Giavaresi et al, 2004; Guglielmi et al, 2015; Guglielmi & de Terlizzi, 2009; Hadji et al, 2015; Montagnani et al, 2000; Njeh et al, 1997; de Oliveira et al, 2011; Wüster et al, 2009, Wüster et al, 2005), which has never been applied before on forensic or archeological skeletal remains. In the paper of Rinaldo et al (2018), a protocol specifically adapted for skeletal remains and new reference curves were developed using a sample of 110 skeletons of known age and sex.…”