Ayse Yaliman, Dilsad Sindel, Pinar Kursuz, Aydan Oral Introduction

Ayse Yaliman, Dilsad Sindel, Pinar Kursuz, Aydan Oral Introduction

CORRELATION BETWEEN BONE QUANTITATIVE ULTRASOUND MEASUREMENTS OF TWO
ULTRASOUND DEVICES
Ayse Yaliman, Dilsad Sindel, Pinar Kursuz, Aydan Oral
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, TURKEY
Introduction
of the left and right tibia as assessed with the Omnisense QUS system; however, this was not the case for phalanx
fracture risk scores (Table 3).
Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is an ionising radiation-free and practical screening method. Dual energy X-ray
absorptiometry is currently the gold standard for the assessment of bone mineral density (BMD). However, sometimes QUS may be a good option for evaluating bone status. QUS measures the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and the speed of sound (SOS) in bone. QUS could also provide some information about bone microarchitecture (1,2). Calcaneal BUA is observed to correlate significantly with total body BMD and it is an independent predictor of fracture risk (3,4,5). There are several different QUS systems for determining bone properties,
the differences among QUS devices being their coupling methods, parameter calculation algorithms, and sites of
measurement. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the correlation between bone acoustic parameters
as measured by using two different QUS devices.
Figure 3. Relationship between right calcaneus SOS measured by calcaneal QUS device
and left tibia SOS measured by multisite QUS device (r=0.182, p<0.01)
Objective
In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the correlation between bone acoustic parameters as measured
by using two different QUS devices.
Materials & Methods
132 women and 94 men (mean age 55.72±13.16 years) were included in this study. QUS parameters including
SOS, BUA, and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI/stiffness) were measured at the right and left calcaneus using
a calcaneal QUS device (the Hologic Sahara® Clinical Bone Sonometer) in the subjects (Figure 1). SOS of the
distal radius, the third proximal phalanx, and the midshaft tibia were measured using a multisite QUS device (the
Sunlight OmnisenseTM) in all subjects (Figure 2).
Figure 4. Relationship between right radius fracture risk and right calcaneus QUI/stiffness
(r=-0.286, p<0.05)
Conclusion
Figure 1. Measuring BUA over the right heel
using calcaneal QUS device
Figure 2. Measuring BUA over the left radius
using multisite device
For quality control, the QUS devices were calibrated on a daily basis by using a phantom. The short-term precision
expressed as the coefficient of variation was assessed in 30 subjects as measured twice. Short-term coefficient of
variations were 4.1% for BUA and 0.3% for SOS with calcaneal QUS device and 4.2% for SOS with multisite QUS
device. Correlations between variables were assessed by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r).
We conclude that the degree of correlations between bone acoustic variables as measured by two different QUS
systems may vary depending on the anatomic sites measured.
References
1-Glüer C-C, Wu CY, Jergas M, Goldstein SA, Genant HK. The quantitative ultrasound parameters reflect bone structure. Calcif Tissue Int 1994;55:46-5.
2-Cortet B, Boutry N, Dubois P, Legroux-Gerot I, Cotten A, Marchandise X. Does quantitative ultrasound of bone reflect more bone mineral density than bone
microarchitecture? Calcif Tissue Int 2004;74:60-7.
3-Mughal MZ, Langton CM, Utretch G, Morrison J, Specker BL. Comparison between broad-band ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus and total body bone
mineral density in children. Acta Paediatr 1996;85:663-5.
Results
Raw data for calcaneal QUS and multisite QUS are given in Table 1. Relationships among QUS parameters and
two different QUS device variables are reported in Table 2. We observed a significant correlation between the
SOS of the right calcaneus as measured by the Sahara QUS system and the SOS of the left tibia as measured by
the Sunlight Omnisense QUS system (r=0.182, p<0.01) (Figure 3). We found that QUI/stiffness of the right and
left calcaneus were negatively correlated with fracture risk scores of the left and right radius (Figure 4) and those
4-Khaw KT, Reeve J, Luben R, Bingham S, Welch A, Wareham N, et al. Prediction of total and hip fracture risk in men and women by quantitative ultrasound
of the calcaneus: Epic-Norfolk prospective population study. Lancet 2004;363:197-202.
5-Flöter M, Bittar CK, Zabeu JL, Carneiro AC. Review of comparative studies between bone densitometry and quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus in
osteoporosis. Acta Rheumatol Port 2011;36:327-35.