What is it about?
Fragility fractures are still a worldwide problem, in particular hip fractures. The Dual Xray Absorptiometry (DXA) is the current gold standard to detect patients at risk of fragility fractures. However, it is not perfect: a majority of fractured patients are not classified as osteoporotic using DXA. Amongst DXA alternative, quantitative ultrasound devices have the advantages of portability, absence of Xray, price usually lower than other clinical technologies. The BDAT (bi-directional axial transmission) device uses ultrasonic guided waves to estimate cortical bone parameters (thickness and porosity) at the forearm (radius) or leg (tibia). The device has been successfully tested in different clinical studies, in France, Germany, UK and Chile.
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Why is it important?
Due to population ageing, the worldwide number of hip fractures is expected to double between 2018 and 2050. Hip fragility fractures are particularly severe, for both the health system and the patient with his family, due to hospital stay and arduous recovery. Thus, it is important to detect people at high risk of fragility fractures, ideally on a large population scale, using transportable and non ionizing devices.
Perspectives
The BDAT device now provides robust and trustful measurements about clinical bone, using a user friendly protocol and interface. One can expect that it could now be used on a larger scale in a clinical environment, in particular in countries when DXA is not widely available.
Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
Universidad de Valparaiso
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Bi-Directional Axial Transmission measurements applied in a clinical environment, PLoS ONE, December 2022, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277831.
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Resources
Bi-Directional Axial Transmission measurements applied in a clinical environment
Minonzio J-G, Ramiandrisoa D, Schneider J, Kohut E, Streichhahn M, Stervbo U, et al. (2022) Bi-Directional Axial Transmission measurements applied in a clinical environment. PLoS ONE 17(12): e0277831. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277831
El innovador estudio chileno de densitometría ósea a través de ultrasonido
El investigador de la Universidad de Valparaíso Jean-Gabriel Minonzio se encuentra en la vanguardia mundial en el campo de la medición ultrasónica de huesos en pacientes. Liderando la investigación Fondecyt Regular 1201311, aplica conocimientos físicos para medir el espesor y la calidad ósea mediante ultrasonidos.
Reseach Features: BDAT – a robust tool to examine bone fragility
Bone fragility remains a worldwide problem and is a huge burden in patients’ lives, hospitals, and healthcare in general. Among the common bone fractures are hip fractures – a major consequence of osteoporosis, a health condition that weakens the bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. As the world’s population gets older, osteoporosis rates are expected to double between 2018 and 2050.
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