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Published on: January 29, 2018
Effect of bone strontium on BMD measurements
1King's College London School of Medicine, London, UK. glen.blake@kcl.ac.uk
Summary
Strontium ranelate treatment for osteoporosis can overestimate bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. This study theoretically estimates this overestimation, providing a strontium ratio to correct BMD readings for accurate patient monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Radiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Strontium ranelate is an osteoporosis treatment with a known effect on bone mineral density (BMD) measurements.
- Strontium's higher X-ray attenuation compared to calcium leads to overestimated BMD readings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically estimate the overestimation of BMD measurements caused by strontium substitution in bone.
- To calculate the strontium ratio for different X-ray absorptiometry techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized X-ray attenuation coefficients to calculate the strontium ratio (%Sr/[Ca+Sr]).
- Estimated the effect for axial dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), peripheral DXA (pDXA), and single-energy quantitative computed tomography (SEQCT).
Main Results:
- Theoretical strontium ratios for DXA varied by device and effective photon energy (e.g., 9.0-10.8).
- SEQCT showed strontium ratios of 6.2 at 60 keV and 4.4 at 80 keV.
- Results align with previously reported experimental values for DXA systems.
Conclusions:
- A reliable strontium ratio is crucial for adjusting BMD measurements in patients treated with strontium ranelate.
- Accurate BMD adjustments are necessary for interpreting DXA scans, even after treatment discontinuation.
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