In-vivo investigation of material quality of bone tissue by measuring apparent phalangeal ultrasound transmission velocity

Abstract

The square of ultrasound transmission velocity in a material is related to the modulus of elasticity, which is known to be an indicator of stability in bone. The aim of our study was to use ultrasound transmission velocity to obtain information about the material properties of bone tissue, keeping other factors possibly influencing ultrasound transmission as constant as possible. Apparent phalangeal ultrasound transmission velocity (APU) measured in 54 isolated, fresh pig phalanges was shown to be independent of bone mineral density (BMD) measured by SPA. Fastest sound transmission led exclusively through cortical bone so that intertrabecular connectivity in spongious bone could not influence the result. In humans APU was measured in the mediolateral direction at the midphalanx of the middle finger. In 53 healthy subjects (15-81 years old; 27 women, 26 men), there was a decrease of APU with age (r = -0.30, p < 0.05). Further, when comparing the results of both hands intraindividually almost identical values indicated constant intraindividual architecture of bone at this location. There was no evidence for a relation of APU to physical load comparing dominant and nondominant hand and relating the results to subjectively estimated physical load. In a second group of 43 perimenopausal women (47-60 years old), APU, which again decreased with age (r = -0.33, p < 0.05), was found not to be correlated to BMD measured by SPA at the distal forearm (cortical bone).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of long‐term treatment with GH on bone metabolism, bone mineral density and bone elasticity in GH‐deficient adults

“…We investigated bone elasticity, which has an important influence on fracture risk, by measuring apparent phalangeal ultrasound transmission velocity (APU) (Kann et al ., 1995b). Measurements were made in the mediolateral direction through the middle part of the midphalanx of the middle finger, with strong compression of the covering soft tissue.…”

The role of quantitative ultrasound in the assessment of bone: a review

“…These factors have collectively been termed`bone quality'. QUS is measured at the distal radius, the os calcis, the tibia, the phalanges and at the patella (Foldes et al, 1995;Gnudi et al, 1995;Kann et al, 1995;Stegman et al, 1995;Turner et al, 1995). The two QUS parameters measured are speed of sound (SOS) and, at the calcaneus also, broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA).…”

Wachstumshormon und Knochen

“…Eine fortbestehende Aktivierung des Knochenstoffwechsels unter GH-Substitution -in Kontrast zu dem in der Literatur beschriebenen verlangsamten Knochenstoffwechsel bei Patienten mit einem GH-Mangel [3,4,11,14,17,24,29,31,39,41] -wird durch den persistierenden Anstieg der Knochenstoffwechselparameter in den hochnormalen Bereich auch nach 84 Monaten im Vergleich zum niedrigen Ausgangswert gezeigt. Die Bestimmung der APU als ein von der Knochendichte unabhängiger Parameter zur Erfassung der Materialqualität [30] weist dabei darauf hin, dass es ausweislich dieses Verfahrens keinen Hinweis auf eine Veränderung der Qualität des Knochens unter GH-Substitution im Vergleich zu den gesunden Kontrollpersonen gibt. Initial nahmen die Messwerte der APU diskret ab, was wahrscheinlich als Ausdruck der vermehrten Rekrutierung von basalen metabolischen Einheiten (BMU oder "bone-remodeling units") mit vermehrten Perforationen und Verlängerungen des Schallwegs erklärt werden kann.…”