Ultrasonic Assessment of the Radius

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the capability of a novel ultrasound device to clinically estimate bone mineral density (BMD) at the 1/3 radius. The device rests on a desktop and is portable, and permits real-time evaluation of the radial BMD. The device measures the time delays associated with three distinct propagation pathways through the forearm, and from these time delays an ultrasound-based estimate, BMD_US, of the BMD is computed. A clinical IRB-approved study measured ultrasonically seventy-eight adults at the 1/3 radius. BMD was also measured (“BMD_DXA”) at the same anatomical site and time using DXA. A linear regression of BMD_DXA vs BMD_US produced a linear correlation coefficient of 0.93 (P<0.001). In conclusion, although x-ray methods are effective in bone mass assessment, osteoporosis remains one of the largest under-diagnosed diseases in the world today. The research described here should enable significant expansion of diagnosis and monitoring of osteoporosis through a desktop device that ultrasonically assesses bone mass at the 1/3 radius.