Normative data for multisite quantitative ultrasound: the Canadian Multicenter Osteoporosis Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Gerontology
• Radiology

Background:

• Multisite quantitative ultrasound (mQUS) offers a portable, cost-effective, and radiation-free method for assessing fragility fracture risk.
• Existing normative data for mQUS speed of sound (SOS) is limited, hindering its widespread clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a normative database of mQUS SOS measurements from a large, diverse community-based sample.
• To establish reference ranges for SOS across different anatomical sites (distal radius, tibia, phalanx) in men and women.
• To identify age-related trends in SOS for use in clinical risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Measurements of SOS were taken using the BeamMed Omnisense 7000 S mQUS device.
• Data was collected from 2948 women and 1176 men aged 30-96 years.
• Analyses were performed separately for men and women, and for each anatomical site, with the 30-39 age group serving as the reference population.

Main Results:

• SOS generally decreased with increasing age across all measured sites.
• The 30-39 year age group exhibited maximal and relatively stable SOS values, establishing them as the reference population.
• Normative data was generated for various age groupings (30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+ years).

Conclusions:

• The generated mQUS normative database provides essential reference values for assessing bone health and fracture risk.
• This database enables the comparison of individual patient SOS measurements against a young, healthy population, facilitating gender-appropriate T-score assignment.
• The findings support the utility of mQUS as a valuable tool in clinical settings for osteoporosis and fracture risk evaluation.