title: CORRELATION BETWEEN CALCANEAL BONE ULTRASOUND MEASUREMENTS AND DENSITOMETRY AMONG POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH FRACTURES CAUSED BY BONE FRAGILITY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the correlation between ultrasound (US) measurement on the calcaneus and bone densitometry (DEXA), among postmenopausal women who already presented fragility fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  35 postmenopausal women over 40 years of age, with the ability to walk and presenting osteoporotic fractures of the wrist or spine, without previous treatment for osteoporosis, were analyzed in a retrospective cohort. Of these, 16 were under 60 and 19 were over 60. The broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) were compared using DEXA (L1-L4, total femur, femoral neck and wrist). Two different values of BUA were used as cutoff points for osteoporosis: BUA < 60 dB/MHz and BUA < 64 dB/MHz (P < 0.05); and SOS < 1600 m/s. The confidence interval was 95%. The DEXA and US data were plotted on dispersion graphs and, through linear regression, it was possible to establish correlations. Following this, the sample was stratified according to age (up to 60 years and 60 years and over). Thus, the values were again compared and correlated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best correlation obtained between DEXA and US was between the T-score of the wrist and BUA < 64 dB/MHz, with 92% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Better sensitivity at all DEXA sites was obtained when US was performed on patients over 60 years of age. The SOS compatible with osteoporosis was < 1592.5 m/s (89% sensitivity and 85% specificity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US on the calcaneus can be used for screening the risk of osteoporosis fractures, using a cutoff of BUA < 64 dB/MHz, especially among patients over 60 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Master's Degree from UnB and Assistant Professor of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Frederico Barra
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Doctor at the Clínica de Ortopedia e Fraturas de Goiania/Goias, Brazil; Full Member of the SBOT.
authors.forename: Lindomar Guimarães de
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Trainee of the Trauma League of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goias, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pierre de Souza
authors.initials: Pde S
authors.lastname: Novais
authors.affiliation: Trainee of the Trauma League of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goias, Brazil.
authors.forename: Murilo Rodrigues
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Resident Doctor in Physiatry of the Centro de Reabilitação Dr. Henrique Santillo, Goiânia/Goiás, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mara Lúcia Rassi
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Guimarães
keywords: Bone Density; Calcaneus; Postmenopausal Osteoporosis/prevention and control; Ultrasound