Identification of men with reduced bone density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck using BMD of the os calcis.

We assessed the utility of os calcis (OC) bone mineral density (BMD) measurements to identify men with low BMD at the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). BMD was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis was applied to determine the risk of osteoporosis at the lumbar spine or femoral neck. [A total of 230 men with an average age of 59 yr were studied.] The most common reasons for referral were fracture (47%) and steroid use (46%). Twenty-six percent were osteoporotic at the LS, 21% at the FN, and 15% at the OC. Optimal classification with respect to osteoporotic measurements at the LS or FN was obtained at an OC T-score of -1.9 (BMD = 0.45 g/cm2). Osteoporosis was only weakly related to a simple cumulative risk factor score, but was strongly related to a T-score OC categorized into quartiles. Regression analysis of BMD on the major risk factors alone explained only 17% of the variance in BMD at the LS and 5% at the FN. The combination of the T-score at the OC, age, and weight provided the best model. BMD OC is superior to risk factors alone in the clinical evaluation and selection of men referred for axial densitometry.     

Use of Lowest Single Lumbar Spine Vertebra Bone Mineral Density T-Score and Other T-Score Approaches for Diagnosing Osteoporosis and Relationships with Vertebral Fracture Status

For diagnosing osteoporosis, International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines suggest using the lowest bone mineral density T-score of the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), or total hip (TH). For the LS, use of the total spine (L1–L4) T-score is suggested. Although controversial, some authors have suggested using a single lumbar vertebra of L1–L4 with the lowest T-score to diagnose osteoporosis. We compared the ability of various T-score approaches [lowest single LS vertebra of L1–L4; total spine; FN; TH; and the lowest T-score of total spine, FN, or TH to diagnose osteoporosis in 2560 postmenopausal women from the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation trial placebo group. The discriminatory ability of each T-score approach to identify women with or without vertebral fracture was compared using the area under receiver-operating characteristic curve. When the lowest single LS T-score of L1–L4 and the total spine T-score were used, 77% and 57% of women were categorized as having osteoporosis, respectively. These T-score approaches had similar ability for discriminating between women with or without prevalent vertebral fractures and for predicting the risk of incident vertebral fractures. The lowest single LS vertebra T-score identified a greater proportion of women with osteoporosis than currently accepted approaches. Thus, the WHO diagnostic classification should not be applied to single vertebral T-scores. This analysis supports the current International Society for Clinical Densitometry position to use the total spine T-score for osteoporosis diagnosis.     

Bone Mineral Density Discordance and Exploration of One of its Causes

Discordances between hip and spine areal density T-score values are common and incompletely understood. In a cohort of 1157 postmenopausal women, discordances of greater than 10% occurred in 91%, with spine bone mineral density (BMD) T-scores significantly less negative than femoral neck (FN) T-scores (p < 0.001). However, when T-scores based on bone mineral content (BMC) rather than BMD were used, the mean discordance was not significantly different from 0. This was largely because BMC at the FN had seemingly declined with age less rapidly than had BMD at that site. This can be explained by age-related areal expansion at the hip, which would be missed in the reported BMD output. One consequence is that if BMC-based T-scores are used to classify patients, substantially fewer individuals would have been judged osteoporotic in this cohort (two-thirds fewer for spine and three-fourths fewer for hip).     

Comparison of the effects of three oral bisphosphonate therapies on the peripheral skeleton in postmenopausal osteoporosis: the TRIO study

Summary

We compared the effects of oral alendronate, ibandronate and risedronate on the central and peripheral skeleton over 2 years. We report differences in effect on the central skeleton but not on the peripheral skeleton. Greater effects were observed for ibandronate (and alendronate) than risedronate at the spine but not the hip.

Introduction

Generally, comparative clinical trials of bisphosphonates have examined changes in bone within central skeletal regions. We have examined the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on the peripheral skeleton.

Methods

We conducted a 2-year, open-label, parallel randomised control trial of three orally administered bisphosphonates, at their licensed dose, to examine and compare their effects on the peripheral skeleton using multiple modes of measurement. We studied 172 postmenopausal women (53–84 years) who had either a bone mineral density (BMD) T-score of? ≤??2.5 at the spine and/or total hip or ?Premenopausal women (33–40 years, n?=?226) were studied to monitor device stability.

Results

We measured central BMD of the lumbar spine, total hip, total body and forearm using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We measured calcaneus BMD (using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry plus laser), radius and tibia BMD (using peripheral quantitative computed tomography), finger BMD (using radiographic absorptiometry), and phalangeal and calcaneal ultrasound variables (using quantitative ultrasound). Mixed effects regression models were used to evaluate effects of time and treatment allocation on BMD change. By 2 years, there were significant increases (p?Conclusions The increases in lumbar spine and total body BMD were greater with ibandronate and alendronate than with risedronate. Treatment effects on peripheral measurements did not differ between the three bisphosphonates.     

Bone mineral density assessment: comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements at the calcaneus, spine, and hip.

It is widely accepted that bone mineral density (BMD) measurements obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the spine, hip, and calcaneus predict fracture risk. Few published studies to date have examined the relationship between pDXA measurements at the calcaneus to those at the hip and spine. It has been demonstrated that T-score-based criteria cannot be universally applied to all skeletal sites and measurement technologies. Our goal was to define the calcaneal T-score threshold equivalent to low bone mass at the hip or spine. A total of 119 female patients between the ages of 33 and 76 yr of age were recruited at Boston University Medical Center for bone densitometry screening. Bone density measurements were obtained at the calcaneus using the portable Norland Apollo Densitometer (Norland Medical Systems, Fort Atkinson, WI) and at the hip and spine using the Norland Eclipse densitometer. By defining a pDXA T-score < or =-1 as a positive test and DXA scores < or =-1 as the presence of low bone mass, we obtained a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 73% (positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 80%) in detecting low bone mass at the femoral neck in women over age 65 yr. In women between 40 and 65 yr of age, we obtained a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 93% (positive predictive value 93% and negative predictive value 50%) in detecting low bone mass at the femoral neck. In women less than 40 yr of age, we obtained a sensitivity of 13% and a specificity of 100% (positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 75%) in detecting low bone mass at the femoral neck. From receiver operating characteristic curves, a calcaneal T-score < or =0.0 detects those with a T-score < or =-1 at the femoral neck and lumbar spine with 100% and 85% sensitivity, respectively. Peripheral DXA of the calcaneus is a sensitive and specific test to diagnose low bone mass in women over 65 yr of age. In women under 65 yr of age, this modality, though not as sensitive, is specific in detecting low bone mass. We conclude that a pDXA calcaneal T-score < or =0 is highly sensitive in predicting osteopenia and osteoporosis at the femoral neck and lumbar spine.     

Imaging Ultrasonometry of the Calcaneus: Optimum T-Score Thresholds for the Identification of Osteoporotic Subjects

The purpose of the present study was to (1) examine the age dependence of T-score results for calcaneal imaging ultrasonometry and dual X-ray absorptiometry of the axial skeleton and (2) determine the optimum T-score thresholds appropriate for broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) measurements. A total of 453 healthy women aged 20-9 years were included in the study. All study participants underwent bone mineral density (BMD) measurements of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip and calcaneal measurements of the BUA and SOS. An imaging ultrasound device (UBIS, DMS, France) was used for the ultrasound measurements. T-scores were calculated using a subgroup of 71 healthy women aged 20-35 years to estimate the mean value of young normals and SD for BUA, SOS, and BMD. The age-related decline in both BUA and SOS T-scores was slower than that in the equivalent figures obtained by BMD measurements. The optimum T-score thresholds estimated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were 1.3 for BUA and 1.5 for SOS. Using the optimum threshold, the sensitivity and specificity for BUA was 68% and 83%, respectively. Corresponding values for SOS were 63% and 79%. Utilizing calculated optimum T score thresholds for BUA and SOS, the agreement among BUA, SOS, and BMD at the femoral neck was improved compared with that found using the T-score of < or = -2.5 criterion. In conclusion, the definition of osteoporosis by a T-score of , or = -2.5 was not applicable to imaging ultrasonometry of the calcaneus. Optimum T-score thresholds were determined for both BUA and SOS suitable to Ubis QUS device.     

Comparison of T-scores from different skeletal sites in differentiating postmenopausal women with and without prevalent vertebral fractures.

It is not clear how bone mineral density (BMD) measurements from several regions of lumbar spine and proximal femur should be utilized in assessing fracture risk. We examined how well the newest ISCD recommendations differentiate subjects with and without prevalent vertebral fractures in 187 postmenopausal women presenting for routine bone densitometry. The association between T-scores from proximal femur and lumbar spine sites and the probability of having a vertebral fracture was modeled via logistic regression with adjustment for age. The lowest T-score of any hip or spine sites (the current ISCD recommendation) and the proximal femur measurements, particularly the femoral neck and total hip, displayed the strongest association with the probability of vertebral fractures.Subjects with a T-score < -2.5 at multiple hip sites had a higher probability of having a vertebral fracture. The sensitivity and specificity associated with particular T-score cutoff values varied greatly depending on the site of measurement.Consequently, T-score values from different sites that had comparable sensitivity/specificity for detecting the presence of vertebral fractures differed by as much as 1.5 T-score units. This finding implies that a single cutoff value, such as -2.5, might not be clinically acceptable when applied to T-scores from different sites.     

Classification of osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal women is dependent on site-specific analysis.

Despite the availability of guidelines from the World Health Organization study group for the classification of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Caucasian women, confusion still exists about the number of sites used for diagnosis and the clinical utility of peripheral bone mass assessments. To examine the diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia based on bone density measurements at single or multiple sites using central and peripheral measurements, we studied 115 ambulatory, community-dwelling, Caucasian postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density of the hip, PA spine, forearm, and finger were assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Bone mass of the calcaneus was obtained using ultrasound. The diagnosis of osteoporosis based on a single measurement varied from 4% using the trochanteric region to 34% using Ward's triangle, 17% using the calcaneus, and 13% using the finger. Twenty-eight percent of the women had osteoporosis if the diagnosis was based on at least one osteoporotic value at three standard central sites (PA spine, total hip, femoral neck). Among these women, using T-scores provided by the manufacturers, 16% of osteoporotic patients would be misclassified as normal using the Sahara Clinical Bone Sonometer (Hologic, Waltham, MA) (heel) and 34% misclassified using the accuDEXA (Schick, New York, NY) (finger). We conclude that there is significant variability in the classification of osteoporosis based on site selection, with significant potential for misdiagnosis.     

A comparison between peripheral BMD and central BMD measurements in the prediction of spine fractures in men

Introduction: Most of the research on osteoporosis has been conducted on women. Few studies have compared central and peripheral densitometry and their association with vertebral fractures in men. The present study was designed to compare peripheral bone mineral density (BMD) measurements with central BMD measurements, and to examine their association with radiographic spine fracture in men. Methods: We studied 402 community-dwelling men aged 45–92 years (mean: 70 years) from the Rancho Bernardo Study cohort who attended a clinic visit between 1988 and 1992 when BMD measurements of the midshaft radius, ultradistal wrist, lumbar spine, and total hip were obtained, and who returned for lateral X-rays of the thoracic and lumbar spine an average of 4 years later. Logistic regression, T-scores, and quintiles were used to analyze BMD and its association with vertebral fractures. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis defined by the National Osteoporosis Foundation criteria (for women) was 14.2% at the spine and 13% at the hip. Because there are no validated definitions of osteoporosis based on the ability to predict fracture risk for peripheral densitometry, the frequency of overlap by bone site was calculated among men in the lowest quintile of each site. Of the 402 men, 82 men (20.3%) had at least two sites with BMD measurements in the lowest quintile. After an average of 4 years, 33 (8.2%) men had at least one radiographic vertebral fracture, and ten (2.5%) men had at least two vertebral fractures. Low BMD at the spine (with and without covariate adjustment) was associated with having one or more vertebral fractures, whether using NOF T-score-defined osteoporosis [Odds ratio (OR): 3.81; confidence interval (CI): 1.52, 9.57] or the lowest quintile versus all others (OR: 2.53; CI: 1.03, 6.19). After age and/or other covariate adjustments, neither BMD at the total hip nor at the peripheral sites was associated with spine fractures using either NOF women-based criteria or male quintiles from this cohort. Conclusion: Although different men had osteoporosis defined by quintiles at different sites, only low BMD at the spine was associated with vertebral fracture.     

肱骨近端、髋部骨折老年女性骨密度和骨代谢指标对比研究

目的对髋部、肱骨近端骨折老年女性的骨密度和骨代谢指标进行对比分析,进一步揭示上述骨折部位女性患者骨密度和骨代谢指标特征性变化情况。方法经患者及家属同意,共纳入62例老年髋部骨折女性患者(其中股骨颈骨折39例,股骨粗隆间骨折23例)、肱骨近端骨折21例,收集患者年龄、检测患者骨密度、血清骨转换指标(Ⅰ型胶原氨基端延长肽,P1NP;Ⅰ型胶原C端肽β降解产物,β-CTX)。结果肱骨近端骨折女性患者平均年龄为(66.1±8.0)岁,明显小于股骨颈骨折、粗隆间骨折女性患者(P<0.05);肱骨近端骨折女性髋部(T=-1.19±0.66)、腰椎骨密度(T=-1.67±1.00)明显高于粗隆间骨折女性髋部(T=-2.36±1.17)、腰椎骨密度(T=-2.61±1.42)(P<0.05),同时显著高于股骨颈骨折患者髋部骨密度(T=-2.33±0.99)。股骨颈骨折、股骨粗隆间骨折患者髋部、腰椎骨密度相比差异无统计学意义;三组间血清P1NP比较差异没有统计学意义,粗隆间骨折女性血清β-CTX(732.18±334.37μg/L)要明显高于肱骨近端骨折患者(529.66±292.34μg/L)(P<0.05)。结论相对于髋部骨折患者,肱骨近端骨折老年女性患者年龄较低,骨密度相对较高;骨吸收活跃可能是导致粗隆间骨折女性骨密度下降的原因。     

Can the WHO definition of osteoporosis be applied to multi-site axial transmission quantitative ultrasound?

Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent but preventable disease and, as such, it is important that there are appropriate diagnostic criteria to identify those at risk of low trauma fracture. In 1994 the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced definitions of osteoporosis and osteopenia using T-scores, which identified 30% of all Caucasian post-menopausal women as having osteoporosis. However, the use of the WHO T-score thresholds of –2.5 for osteoporosis and –1.0 for osteopenia may be inappropriate at skeletal sites other than the spine, hip and forearm or when other modalities, such as quantitative ultrasound (QUS) are used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the age-dependence of T-scores for speed of sound (SOS) measurements at the radius, tibia, phalanx and metatarsal by use of the Sunlight Omnisense, to evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia at these sites by use of the WHO criteria, and calculate appropriate equivalent T-score thresholds. The study population consisted of 278 healthy pre-menopausal women, 194 healthy post-menopausal women and 115 women with atraumatic vertebral fractures. All women had SOS measurements at the radius, tibia, phalanx and metatarsal and bone mineral density (BMD) measurements at the lumbar spine and hip. A group of healthy pre-menopausal women aged 20–40 years from the pre-menopausal group were used to estimate the population mean and SD for each of the SOS and BMD measurement sites. Healthy post-menopausal women were classified into normal, osteopenic or osteoporotic, based upon the standard WHO definition of osteoporosis and expressed as a percentage. We investigated the age-related decline in T-scores from 20–79 by stratifying the healthy subjects into 10-year age groups and calculating the mean T-score for each of these groups. Finally, we estimated appropriate T-score thresholds, using five different approaches. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the post-menopausal women aged 50 years and over ranged from 1.4 to 12.7% for SOS and 1.3 to 5.2% for BMD. The age-related decline in T-scores ranged from –0.92 to –1.80 for SOS measurements in the 60 to 69-year age group and –0.60 to –1.19 for BMD measurements in the same age group. The WHO definition was not suitable for use with SOS measurements, and revised T-score thresholds for the diagnosis of osteoporosis of –2.6, –3.0, –3.0 and –2.2 and for osteopenia of –1.4, –1.6, –2.3, and –1.4, for the radius, tibia, phalanx and metatarsal, respectively, were recommended.     

Novel MRI-based score for assessment of bone density in operative spine patients

BackgroundGood bone quality is key in avoiding a multitude of afflictions, including osteoporotic fragility fractures and poor outcomes after spine surgery. In patients undergoing instrumented spine fusion, bone quality often dictates screw pullout strength, insertional torque, and vertebral body loading properties. While dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) screening is the current method of assessing bone mineral density, the majority of patients do not have DEXA measurements available before undergoing surgical instrumentation.PurposeTo create a simple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based score to evaluate bone quality and evaluate the degree to which it correlates with conventional DEXA scores.Study Design/SettingRetrospective cohort.Patient SamplePatients ≥18 years of age undergoing spine surgery for degenerative conditions between 2013 and 2018.Outcome MeasuresCorrelation of the vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score with DEXA T-scores, and association between VBQ score and presence of osteopenia/osteoporosis.MethodsUsing noncontrast T1-weighted MRIs of the lumbar spine, the novel VBQ score was calculated for each patient. DEXA T-scores of the femoral neck and total hip were obtained and were compared with patient VBQ scores using linear regression and Pearson's correlation.ResultsAmong 68 patients included in this study, 37 were found to have osteopenia/osteoporosis (T-score < −1.0) based on DEXA. A greater VBQ score was significantly associated with the presence of osteopenia/osteoporosis with a predictive accuracy of 81%. VBQ scores correlated moderately with femoral neck T-scores, the lowest overall T-scores of each patient, and correlated fairly with total hip T-scores.ConclusionsThis is the first study to correlate the novel VBQ score obtained from MRIs with DEXA T-score. We found this score to be a significant predictor of healthy versus osteopenic/osteoporotic bone with an accuracy of 81%, and found that VBQ score was moderately correlated with femoral neck and overall lowest T-score.     

Comparison of Bone Mineral Density of the Phalanges, Lumbar Spine, Hip, and Forearm for Assessment of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

The objective of this study was to compare peripheral bone mineral density (BMD) of the phalanges with BMD of the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and forearm and to determine the clinical value of measuring a single peripheral site (phalanges) in identifying postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry using the accuDEXA((R)) (ADXA-finger) (Schick, New York, NY) and the QDR-4500 (DXA-lumbar spine, hip, forearm) (Hologic, Waltham, MA). Correlation coefficients between ADXA and DXA of the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck and one third radial site ranged from 0.53 to 0.73. The sensitivity of an ADXA T-score of -2.5 in identifying patients with a DXA T-score of < or = -2.5 at the femoral neck was 35%. An ADXA T-score cut point of -1.0 improved the sensitivity of ADXA in identifying patients with a femoral neck T-score of < or = -2.5 (85%), but the specificity declined from 88 to 49%. There was substantial discordance in the diagnosis of osteoporosis when a single site was measured, regardless of technique. Within the limitations of single-site measurements, BMD measured by ADXA has adequate sensitivity to identify women with low BMD at the femoral neck, if an appropriate T-score criterion is used.     

Changes in QUS and BMD Measurements with Antiresorptive Therapy: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

There is lack of consensus on whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements can be used to monitor response to therapy. The aim of this 2-year longitudinal study was to assess whether calcaneal QUS measurement variables respond to antiresorptive therapy and whether these measurements display adequate long-term precision to be useful for monitoring purposes. The study population consisted of 195 postmenopausal women divided into three groups: Group 1: 39 women treated with antiresorptive therapy who commenced treatment at baseline; Group 2: 25 women treated with antiresorptive therapy who had been on treatment for at least 2 years at baseline; Group 3: 131 women who did not taken estrogen, bisphosphonates, or calcium during the 2-year study period. Subjects had baseline and 12 and 24 months follow-up BMD measurements at the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (THIP) and calcaneal QUS measurements of broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS). BUA and SOS were combined to provide an estimate of heel BMD (Est heel BMD). For women in Group 1, all BMD and QUS measurement variables increased significantly from baseline after 2 years of treatment. For women in Group 2, only THIP BMD and BUA increased significantly after 2 years and the changes were less than those observed in Group 1 women. The overall treatment effect for each measurement variable, defined as the difference in the mean absolute changes between Groups I and 3 after 2 years, was 0.08, 0.03, and 0.04 g/cm2 for LS, FN, and THIP BMD, and for BUA, SOS, and Est heel BMD it was 5.8 dB/MHz, 13.1 m/sec, and 0.05 g/cm2, respectively. When the overall treatment effect was expressed in T-score units, the effect was greatest for LS BMD (0.65 T-score units) and lowest for FN BMD (0.31 T-score units). QUS measurement variables yielded intermediate values of 0.43- 0.52 T-score units. The average least significant change (LSC) was 0.38 T-score units for BMD measurements, whereas the LSC for QUS measurements was three times greater at approximately 1.20 T-score units. Ninety-four percent of the women in Group 1 showed changes in LS BMD that exceeded the LSC after two years, while the percentage was lower for the other measurement variables ranging from approximately 6% for FN BMD, SOS and Est heel BMD to 50% for THIP BMD. A lower percentage of women in Groups 2 and 3 displayed changes that exceeded the LSC for both BMD and QUS measurement variables. Changes in all QUS variables were significantly correlated with changes in LS BMD, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.26 to 0.40. In conclusion, calcaneal QUS measurement variables were found to show a highly significant response to antiresorptive therapy. However, the precision of QUS measurements was not good enough to allow QUS to be used for monitoring response to treatment. Future improvements in the precision of calcaneal QUS measurements are required to increase the utility of QUS for monitoring purposes.     

Applying ethnic-specific bone mineral density T-scores to Chinese women in the USA

Summary

Caucasian reference data are used to classify bone mineral density in US women of all races. However, use of Chinese American reference data yields lower osteoporosis prevalence in Chinese women. The reduction in osteoporosis labeling may be relevant for younger Chinese women at low fracture risk.

Introduction

Caucasian reference data are used for osteoporosis classification in US postmenopausal women regardless of race, including Asians who tend to have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women of white race. This study examines BMD classification by ethnic T-scores for Chinese women.

Methods

Using BMD data in a Northern California healthcare population, Chinese women aged 50–79 years were compared to age-matched white women (1:5 ratio), with femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and lumbar spine (LS) T-scores calculated using Caucasian versus Chinese American reference data.

Results

Comparing 4039 Chinese and 20,195 white women (44.8 % age 50–59 years, 37.5 % age 60–69 years, 17.7 % age 70–79 years), Chinese women had lower BMD T-scores at the FN, TH, and LS (median T-score 0.29–0.72 units lower across age groups, p?<?0.001) using Caucasian reference data. Using Chinese American BMD reference data resulted in an average +0.47, +0.36, and +0.48 units higher FN, TH, and LS T-scores, respectively, reducing the prevalence of osteoporosis (T-score?≤??2.5) in Chinese women at the FN (16.7 to 6.6 %), TH (9.8 to 3.2 %), and LS (23.2 to 8.9 %); osteoporosis prevalence at any one of three sites fell from 29.6 to 12.6 % (22.4 to 8.1 % for age 50–64 years and 43.2 to 21.0 % for age 65–79 years).

Conclusion

Use of Chinese American BMD reference data yields higher (ethnic) T-scores by 0.4–0.5 units, with a large proportion of Chinese women reclassified from osteoporosis to osteopenia. The reduction in osteoporosis labeling with ethnic T-scores may be relevant for younger Chinese women at low fracture risk.

     

Spine-Hip Discordance and FRAX assessment Fracture Risk in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia from Concordant Diagnosis Between Lumbar Spine and Femoral Neck

The diagnostic criteria proposed by the World Health Organization did not consider the discrepancy in diagnosis between lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) and the clinical implications is unclear. Therefore, this retrospective study evaluated the probability of fracture risk in postmenopausal women with lumbar spine (LS)–femoral neck (FN) bone mineral density (BMD) discordance or not Patients included 1066 healthy postmenopausal women (median age 55.5 years) who visited our hospital for a health check-up between May 2013 and April 2017. Discordance was defined as a difference of one or two degrees between LS BMD and FN BMD. TBS was calculated from dual energy absorptiometry (DXA) images. Fracture risk was assessed using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX), including TBS-adjusted FRAX Seven hundred and two patients (65.9%) showed concordant LS and FN results, whereas 364 patients (34.1%) exhibited discordance. Normal BMD was found in 519 concordant patients (73.9%). Concordant patients showed significantly higher FRAX scores, including TBS-adjusted FRAX results, than discordant patients with low LS or FN. Furthermore, FRAX results in concordant osteopenia patients were similar to that of osteoporosis patients with osteopenia or a normal result at one site. FRAX and TBS-adjusted FRAX results in concordant osteopenia patients were comparable to that of discordant osteoporosis patients We concluded that patients with colncordant osteopenia in both the FN and LS should be managed in a similar way to patients with discordant osteoporosis.     

Clinical Evaluation of a Phalangeal Bone Mineral Density Assessment System

Because osteoporosis is common and usually managed in primary care, there is a requirement for cheap and convenient methods of measuring bone mineral density (BMD). AccuDEXA (Lone Oak Medical Technologies, Doylestown, PA) is a tabletop dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) device that performs BMD measurements of the hand in the middle phalanges of the third finger. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the use of AccuDEXA in UK women; (2) investigate the concordance between AccuDEXA T-scores and DXA T-scores for central (spine and hip) sites; (3) investigate the comparative response of AccuDEXA measurements to clinical risk factors for osteoporosis. Measurements of phalangeal and central BMD were performed in 620 women referred by their family doctors for bone densitometry (group 1) and 159 healthy female volunteers (group 2). For 65 women in group 2, aged 39 yr or younger, the mean Z-scores for AccuDEXA and the central sites calculated from US reference ranges were consistent with the expected value of 0, whereas for the 62 group 2 women, aged 50 yr or older, the mean Z-scores for AccuDEXA and the central sites were in the range 0.4–0.7 and were statistically significantly different from 0. In both group 1 and group 2, the AccuDEXA T-scores in older and younger women were systematically higher than those in the central sites by up to 1 unit. Of the 157 women aged 50 yr or older, with osteoporosis, based on their central DXA results, only 34 (22%) had an AccuDEXA T-score less than or equal to ?2.5, whereas 76 (48%) had osteopenia and 47 (30%) were normal based on their AccuDEXA T-scores. When assessed by the effect of clinical risk factors on Z-scores, both AccuDEXA and central BMD were affected to a similar extent. We conclude that the conventional World Health Organisation T-score criteria for the diagnosis of osteoporosis should not be applied to AccuDEXA measurements in UK women. Clinical risk factors for low BMD were found to affect AccuDEXA measurements to a similar extent as central BMD measurements. AccuDEXA measurements could, therefore, provide an alternative method for identifying individuals with low bone mass, provided care is taken in interpreting T-scores, perhaps, through the use of device-specific thresholds.     

Classification of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia in Men Is Dependent on Site-Specific Analysis

To examine the diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia in men based on bone density measurements at single or multiple sites using central and peripheral measurements, we studied 206 ambulatory, community-dwelling men over age 50. Bone mineral density of the hip, PA spine, forearm, and finger were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The diagnosis of osteoporosis based on a single measurement ranged from 1% using the trochanter to 39% using Ward's triangle. Twenty-one percent of men had osteoporosis if the diagnosis was based on at least one osteoporotic value at three central sites (PA spine, total hip, femoral neck). Among these men using T-scores provided by the manufacturers, 51% of osteoporotic patients would be misclassified as normal using the accuDEXA((R)) (finger), and 37% of osteoporotic men would be misclassified as normal using the PA spine. We conclude depending on the number and selection of sites there is considerable variability in the classification and misclassification of osteoporosis and osteopenia in men.     

Utility of Spine Bone Mineral Density in Fracture Prediction Within FRAX

Predicting individuals at risk for fracturing and modifying that risk are important in preventative health. Our aim was to quantify the impact of spine bone mineral density (BMD) on fracture risk prediction and determine the positive predictive value of fracture prediction using the lowest BMD value at the femoral neck, total hip, or lumbar spine. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 15,033 women was performed, assessing the contribution of age, body mass index, number of clinical risk factors, T-score, and osteoporosis category to the presence of fracture. In patients whose lumbar spine T-scores are 1 or 2 osteoporosis categories lower than femoral neck, there is an approximately 30% increased risk of fracture compared with the femoral neck alone. For patients younger than 60 yr, the odds ratio of having a fracture based on the presence of lumbar spine osteoporosis was greater than that based on femoral neck osteoporosis. Osteoporosis at the total hip correlated best with the presence of fracture. When using FRAX, we recommend that the 10-yr fracture prediction be adjusted when lumbar spine T-score is 1–2 osteoporosis categories lower than the femoral neck T-score or when lumbar spine T-score is ≥1 standard deviation less than femoral neck T-score.     

Quantitative Ultrasound of the Calcaneus in Long-Term Liver or Cardiac Transplantation Patients

Bone loss is one of the most common complications after solid-organ transplantation, but it is frequently under-diagnosed. Our purpose was to evaluate quantitative ultrasound of calcaneus (QUS) in comparison with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to identify transplant recipients with osteoporosis. We have cross-sectionally evaluated 140 transplant recipients (85 liver and 55 cardiac transplantations; mean age: 53.6 years, time since transplantation: 67.9 months). Devices used were Hologic 4500 QDR for DXA measurements and Sahara Clinical Sonometer (Hologic Inc, Bedford, MA) for calcaneal QUS. Quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) was calculated from speed of sound (m/s) and broadband ultrasonic attenuation (dB/MHz). QUI T-score and bone mineral density (BMD) T-score (spine and hip) were obtained from Spanish normative data. According to World Health Organization criteria, defined either at lumbar spine or femoral neck, 61% of the females had osteopenia and 32% had osteoporosis, whereas 52% of the males had osteopenia and 11% had osteoporosis. Calcaneal QUS parameters (speed of sound, broadband ultrasonic attenuation, and QUI) were positively correlated with lumbar and femoral BMD (p < 0.001). In receiver operator characteristic analysis, a T-score QUI ≤ − 1.4 standard deviation (SD) had 68% sensitivity and 72% specificity for osteoporosis diagnosis by DXA criteria. However, to obtain maximal sensitivity (5% of false-negative), QUI T-score cutoff should be − 0.6 SD, but specificity drops to 42%. In conclusion, a positive correlation exists between lumbar and femoral BMD and QUS parameters in long-term liver or cardiac transplant recipients. QUS could be recommended for screening of osteoporosis in long-term transplanted patients.