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Surowiec RK, Does MD, Nyman JS. In Vivo Assessment of Bone Quality Without X-rays. Curr Osteoporos Rep 2024; 22:56-68. [PMID: 38227178 PMCID: PMC11050740 DOI: 10.1007/s11914-023-00856-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes recent advances in the assessment of bone quality using non-X-ray techniques. RECENT FINDINGS Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) provides multiple measurements of bone characteristics based on the propagation of sound through bone, the attenuation of that sound, and different processing techniques. QUS parameters and model predictions based on backscattered signals can discriminate non-fracture from fracture cases with accuracy comparable to standard bone mineral density (BMD). With advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bound water and pore water, or a porosity index, can be quantified in several long bones in vivo. Since such imaging-derived measurements correlate with the fracture resistance of bone, they potentially provide new BMD-independent predictors of fracture risk. While numerous measurements of mineral, organic matrix, and bound water by Raman spectroscopy correlate with the strength and toughness of cortical bone, the clinical assessment of person's bone quality using spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) requires advanced spectral processing techniques that minimize contaminating signals from fat, skin, and blood. Limiting exposure of patients to ionizing radiation, QUS, MRI, and SORS has the potential to improve the assessment of fracture risk and track changes of new therapies that target bone matrix and micro-structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Surowiec
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 N. University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Mark D Does
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 5824 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, 400 24th Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
| | - Jeffry S Nyman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 5824 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Ave. S., Suite 4200, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1211 Medical Center Dr., Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
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Al Refaie A, Baldassini L, Mondillo C, Giglio E, De Vita M, Tomai Pitinca MD, Gonnelli S, Caffarelli C. Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (R.E.M.S.): New Frontiers for Ultrasound Use in the Assessment of Bone Status-A Current Picture. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13101666. [PMID: 37238151 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13101666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoporosis is a frequently occurring skeletal disease, and osteoporosis-related fractures represent a significant burden for healthcare systems. Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is the most commonly used method for assessing bone mineral density (BMD). Today, particular attention is being directed towards new technologies, especially those that do not use radiation, for the early diagnosis of altered bone status. Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (REMS) is a non-ionizing technology that evaluates the bone status at axial skeletal sites by analyzing raw ultrasound signals. In this review, we evaluated the data on the REMS technique present in the literature. The literature data confirmed diagnostic concordance between BMD values obtained using DXA and REMS. Furthermore, REMS has adequate precision and repeatability characteristics, is able to predict the risk of fragility fractures, and may be able to overcome some of the limitations of DXA. In conclusion, REMS could become the method of choice for the assessment of bone status in children, in women of childbearing age or who are pregnant, and in several secondary osteoporosis conditions due to its good precision and replicability, its transportability, and the absence of ionizing radiation. Finally, REMS may allow qualitative and not just quantitative assessments of bone status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Al Refaie
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Baldassini
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Caterina Mondillo
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Elisa Giglio
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Michela De Vita
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Dea Tomai Pitinca
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Gonnelli
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Carla Caffarelli
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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