Abstract
The morbidity and mortality associated with postmenopausal osteoporotic fracture is becoming increasingly recognized as a major health problem in the elderly. Maximising the accumulation of bone tissue during growth and puberty is one of the most importtant aims in the prevention of osteoporosis. For prevention studies in children it is necessary to develop methods for bone densitometry without radiation. Ultrasonic velocity (speed of sound = SOS) has been proposed as an alternative method for evaluating skeletal status. Using a new ultrasonic system (Osteoson K4, MTO, P.R.G.), we investigated reproducibility and age-dependency of SOS at several peripherial bones.
Results: 1. Intra-Observer reproducibility (day to day): calcaneus CV = 0.64; patella CV=1.18 and thumb CV=0.43 (n=25). Inter-Observer reproducibility: calcaneus CV=1.1, patella CV=2.48 and thumb CV=0.62 (n=16).
Age-Dependency (n=207 healthy probands; age: 1-30 years) of SOS indicated as range:
The reproducibility of SOS measurements especially through the thumb is comparable with those of radiation methods. The SOS age-dependency curves of our study are similar to those of bone mineral density and content in lumber spine and femoral neck measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). DXA and our SOS data showed a dramtic reduction in “bone mass” growth during the first years after puberty.
Further studies in well defined bone diseases have to demonstrate whether SOS allows to differertitate between normal and pathological conditions and whether this method facilitates prevention studies of osteoporosis to potimize peak bone mass during childhood.
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Schönau, E., Rademacher, A., Klein, K. et al. ULTRASOUND VELOCITY IN THE OS CALCIS, THUMB AND PATEHIA DURING CHILDHOOD AS INDICATOR OF BONE DENSITY. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S81 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00469
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00469