Phalangeal osteosonogrammetry study: age-related changes, diagnostic sensitivity, and discrimination power. The...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Phalangeal osteosonogrammetry, utilizing ultrasound signal characteristics, emerged in 1992 for bone tissue analysis.
• Amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS) measures ultrasound velocity, while ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI) quantifies signal characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of AD-SoS and develop UBPI for quantifying ultrasound signal characteristics in bone assessment.
• To establish the efficacy of phalangeal ultrasound in diagnosing osteoporosis and assessing fracture risk.

Main Methods:

• Collected a database of 10,115 female subjects, including those with documented vertebral osteoporotic fractures and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) data.
• Analyzed ultrasound signal parameters (AD-SoS, UBPI, first wave amplitude, signal dynamics) and correlated them with age, fracture status, and DXA T-scores.
• Applied World Health Organization (WHO) criteria to determine T-scores for AD-SoS and UBPI in relation to osteoporosis.

Main Results:

• Aging affects UBPI, first wave amplitude, and signal dynamics differently than AD-SoS, with no increase during childhood.
• A decrease in AD-SoS correlated with increased fracture risk (OR 1.71). Fractured subjects showed significantly lower AD-SoS and UBPI compared to non-fractured controls.
• Sixty-six percent of vertebral fractures were below AD-SoS T-score -3.2, and 62% below UBPI -3.14, with highest fracture incidence in those with both low AD-SoS and DXA T-scores.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound investigation of hand phalanges is a valid methodology for osteoporosis assessment.
• The UBPI parameter effectively quantifies ultrasound signal changes, enhancing the investigation of bone structure.
• Phalangeal osteosonogrammetry offers a promising, non-invasive approach for osteoporosis diagnosis and fracture risk evaluation.