title: Broadband ultrasound attention reference database for southeast Asian males and females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to establish the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) measurements of the calcaneum for Southeast Asian males and females. A database was used to draw the reference curve for the Southeast Asian male and female population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The database included 366 healthy females and 236 healthy males. We measured the BUA values of the left heel using the Contact Ultrasound Bone Analyser (CUBA) clinical system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean difference between Southeast Asian males and Caucasian males was 9.3 dB MHz-1 and that for females was 5.0 dB MHz-1. The standard deviations (SDs) for Southeast Asian female and male normative values were 17.43 and 20.10, respectively. This is comparable with the SD for the McCue Caucasian female and male normative data of 16.54 and 17.45 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that the Southeast Asian population has a significantly lower normative value than the Caucasian population. This BUA reference database obtained will allow for more accurate determination of Southeast Asian patients at risk of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Changi General Hospital, Singapore. yeow_wai_lim@cgh.com.sg
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014463:Ultrasonography