Osteoporosis: association of recent fractures with quantitative US findings.
OBJECTIVE
To study the association of quantitative ultrasound (US) parameters and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with and patients without recent fractures.


METHODS
The authors studied 4,698 women (69 years or older) who had sustained 1,363 new fractures, including 106 hip fractures, during the 7 years prior to the study. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and other velocity parameters were measured by means of quantitative US of the calcaneus. BMD was measured at the spine, hip, and calcaneus.


RESULTS
The standardized age-adjusted odds ratio for all fractures was 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4, 1.7) for BUA and up to 1.6 (95% CI = 1.5, 1.7) for BMD. For hip fractures, the odds ratio was 1.9 (95% CI = 1.5, 2.4) for BUA and up to 2.6 (95% CI = 2.0,3.4) for BMD. Sensitivity and specificity with BUA, velocity parameters, and BMD were comparable. Results of multivariate analysis showed that both BUA and BMD were independently associated with fractures and that combined measurements improved sensitivity and specificity.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative US parameters are strongly associated with risk of fracture and partly independent of BMD. This simple, low-cost, portable, and radiation-free approach may complement bone densitometry in assessing risk of osteoporotic fracture.
Glüer
C C
CC
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Cummings
S R
SR
Bauer
D C
DC
Stone
K
K
Pressman
A
A
Mathur
A
A
Genant
H K
HK
D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States