Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) in the Management of Osteoporosis and Assessment of Fracture Risk

A cross-sectional study comparing machine learning and logistic regression techniques for predicting osteoporosis in a group at high risk of cardiovascular disease among old adults

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis has become a significant public health concern that necessitates the application of appropriate techniques to calculate disease risk. Traditional methods, such as logistic regression,have been widely used to identify risk factors and predict disease probability. However,with the advent of advanced statistics techniques,machine learning models offer promising alternatives for improving prediction accuracy. What's more, studies that use risk factors and prediction models for osteoporosis in high-risk groups for cardiovascular diseases are scarce. We aimed to explore the risk factors and disease probability of osteoporosis by comparing logistic regression with four machine learning models. By doing so,we seek to provide insights into the most effective methods for osteoporosis risk assessment and contribute to the development of tailored prevention strategies at high risk of cardiovascular disease among old adults.

METHODS

We carried out a cross-sectional investigation of a high-risk group in cardiovascular patients. A logistic regression model and four common machine learning methods,DT,RF,SVM,and XGBoost were implemented to create a prediction model using information from 211 participants who met the inclusion requirements. Metrics for calibration and discrimination were used to compare the models.

RESULTS

In total,211 patients were enrolled. The AUCs were 0.751 for the logistic regression model,0.72 for the SVM model,0.70 for the random forest model,0.697 for the model XGBoost,and 0.69 for the decision tree model. The logistic regression model outperforms other models for machine learning. According to the logistic regression model,there were nine predictors,including age,sex,glucose,TG (triglyceride),fracture history,stroke history,and CNV (copy number variation) nssv659422, and low-sodium salt. A well-calibrated result of 0.199 on the Brier scale. The findings of the internal validation demonstrated the high degree of repeatability of the prediction model employed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we discovered that when predicting osteoporosis,a number of machine learning techniques fell short of logistic regression. In a specific population, we have innovatively developed a risk prediction model for osteoporosis events that integrates genetic and environmental factors, is an effective tool for assessing osteoporosis risk and can serve as the basis for specialized intervention approaches.

Predictive modelling of knee osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research was to develop a machine learning-based predictive model for osteoporosis screening using demographic and clinical data, including T-scores derived from calcaneus Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS). The study aimed to offer a cost-effective and accessible alternative to Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scans, especially in resource-constrained settings.

RESULTS

The model achieved a classification accuracy of 88%, outperforming traditional decision trees by 10%. This improvement in accuracy demonstrates the potential of the random forest algorithm in identifying patients at risk of osteoporosis. Misclassification rates were minimal, with most errors occurring in distinguishing osteopenia from normal cases. The findings indicate that machine learning models trained on QUS data can aid in early identification of osteoporosis, reducing reliance on costly DXA scans.

Calcaneal Ultrasound Attenuation: Does the Region of Interest and Loading Influence the Repeatability of Measurement?

Current calcaneal quantitative ultrasound systems assess different regions of interest (ROI), under different levels of lower limb loading, yield different parameter values, and are likely prone to different levels of error. This study evaluated the repeatability of measures of frequency-dependent attenuation (FDA, 0.3-0.8 MHz) at three calcaneal ROI, Brooke-Wavell (BW), Jaworski (JA), and foot gauge (FG), under four loading conditions (non-weightbearing, semi-weightbearing, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance). FDA in the calcaneus was assessed in 20 healthy participants (mean (± SD) age, 41.7 ± 19.6 years; height, 1.70 ± 0.16 m; and weight, 70.1 ± 23.0 kg) using a custom-built transmission-mode ultrasound system. Reliability was evaluated using the standard error of measurement (SEM) and limits of agreement (LA) and tolerance (95%TL). Differences in mean FDA values between ROI, loading, and measurement occasions were assessed using a repeated measures ANOVA (α = .05). Mean FDA values ranged between 58.0 ± 32.0 and 77.2 ± 27.6 dB/MHz across all conditions. Repeatability of FDA was dependent on the ROI examined and tended to improve with weightbearing. The narrowest limits for 95%TL ranged between ± 15.1 dB/MHz (JA SWB) and ± 62.7 dB/MHz (BW NWB) across sites. The SEM was approximately 10 dB/MHz for both FG and JA during non-weightbearing and was reduced to around 5 dB/MHz with full weightbearing. This study demonstrates that, although measures of ultrasound FDA are dependent on the ROI, lower limb loading may be a useful method to improve the repeatability of FDA measurements.

Impact of Maternal Exposure to Trace Metal Mixtures on Bone Mineral Density in Children Aged 3-6: Results from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort, China

Prospective studies examining early maternal exposure to trace metal (TM) mixtures and their effects on offspring remain limited. We analyzed data regarding maternal plasma trace metal concentrations and bone mineral density (BMD) for 220 children aged 3-6 years from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to measure 22 trace metal concentrations-Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, W, Tl, Pb, and U-in maternal plasma samples collected before 13 weeks of gestation. BMD Z-scores in children were assessed using quantitative ultrasound. Generalized linear models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) models, principal component analysis, Bayesian kernel machine regression, and quantile-based g-computation (qgcomp) were used to evaluate the associations between maternal plasma metal levels and BMD Z-scores in the child. Higher maternal Fe concentration was correlated with lower child BMD Z-scores (β [95% confidence interval]: - 1.374 [- 2.426 to - 0.323], p = 0.011). Increased Pb exposure was correlated with higher Z-scores (β [95% CI]: 1.035 [0.150-1.920], p = 0.023), corroborated by the RCS model (p = 0.031). Ti levels exceeding the median were associated with increased BMD Z-scores (p = 0.027). Increased BMD in children was associated with higher levels of metal mixtures, including Mn, V, Ti, U, Ni, Zn, Sr, Pb, W, and Co. Pb appears to play a primary role in this effect. TM exposure during early pregnancy is associated with BMD in children; however, additional longitudinal and experimental studies are required to confirm this conclusion.

Adaptively multi-scale microstructure characterization of cancellous bone via Photoacoustic signal decomposition

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease with a high incidence in the elderly and seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Photoacoustic (PA) technology, which combines the advantages of light and ultrasound, can provide information about the physiological structure and chemical information of biological tissues in a non-invasive and non-radiative way. Due to the complex structural characteristics of bone tissue, PA signals generated by bone tissue are non-stationary and nonlinear. However, conventional PA signal processing methods are not effective for non-stationary signal processing. In this study, an empirical mode decomposition (EMD)-based Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) PA signal analysis method, called HHT PA signal analysis (HPSA), was developed to assess the microstructure information of bone tissue, which is closely related to bone health. The feasibility of the HPSA method in bone health assessment was proven by numerical simulation and experimental studies on animal samples with different bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) and bone mineral densities. First, based on adaptive EMD, the different modes correlated with multi-scale information were mined from the PA signal, the correlations between different intrinsic mode function (IMF) modes and BV/TVs were analyzed, and the optimal mode for more efficient PA time-frequency analysis was selected. Second, multi-wavelength HPSA was used to assess the changes in the chemical components of the bone tissue. The results demonstrate that the HPSA method can distinguish bones with different BV/TVs and microstructure conditions adaptively with high efficiency. They further emphasize the potential of PA techniques in characterizing biological tissues in bones for early and rapid detection of bone diseases.

Evaluation of fragility fracture risk using deep learning based on ultrasound radio frequency signal

BACKGROUND

It was essential to identify individuals at high risk of fragility fracture and prevented them due to the significant morbidity, mortality, and economic burden associated with fragility fracture. The quantitative ultrasound (QUS) showed promise in assessing bone structure characteristics and determining the risk of fragility fracture.

AIMS

To evaluate the performance of a multi-channel residual network (MResNet) based on ultrasonic radiofrequency (RF) signal to discriminate fragility fractures retrospectively in postmenopausal women, and compared it with the traditional parameter of QUS, speed of sound (SOS), and bone mineral density (BMD) acquired with dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

METHODS

Using QUS, RF signal and SOS were acquired for 246 postmenopausal women. An MResNet was utilized, based on the RF signal, to categorize individuals with an elevated risk of fragility fracture. DXA was employed to obtain BMD at the lumbar, hip, and femoral neck. The fracture history of all adult subjects was gathered. Analyzing the odds ratios (OR) and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUC) was done to evaluate the effectiveness of various methods in discriminating fragility fracture.

RESULTS

Among the 246 postmenopausal women, 170 belonged to the non-fracture group, 50 to the vertebral group, and 26 to the non-vertebral fracture group. MResNet was competent to discriminate any fragility fracture (OR = 2.64; AUC = 0.74), Vertebral fracture (OR = 3.02; AUC = 0.77), and non-vertebral fracture (OR = 2.01; AUC = 0.69). After being modified by clinical covariates, the efficiency of MResNet was further improved to OR = 3.31-4.08, AUC = 0.81-0.83 among all fracture groups, which significantly surpassed QUS-SOS (OR = 1.32-1.36; AUC = 0.60) and DXA-BMD (OR = 1.23-2.94; AUC = 0.63-0.76).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot cross-sectional study demonstrates that the MResNet model based on the ultrasonic RF signal shows promising performance in discriminating fragility fractures in postmenopausal women. When incorporating clinical covariates, the efficiency of the modified MResNet is further enhanced, surpassing the performance of QUS-SOS and DXA-BMD in terms of OR and AUC. These findings highlight the potential of the MResNet as a promising approach for fracture risk assessment. Future research should focus on larger and more diverse populations to validate these results and explore its clinical applications.

Parameter estimation-based discrimination method for osteoporosis stage with ultrasound bone densitometer

This paper proposes a new method for predicting the stage of osteoporosis by estimating bone-density parameters using an ultrasonic-bone densitometer. Using the developed ultrasonic bone densitometer, the ultrasonic signal passing through the phalanx of the finger was measured, and the measured signal was preprocessed to generate input data for parameter estimation. The Nakagami probability-density function was used for modeling this data, and optimal bone-density parameters were estimated using an optimization problem - to predict the stage of osteoporosis. The proposed method was verified through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In phantom experiments, cubes with different materials (ABS plastic, PLA plastic, Nylon) were used, and each cube had a different density through internal density so that it could mimic bones. The experiments were conducted using them and the results were compared. The experimental results confirmed that there was a correlation between the density and estimated parameters for all three materials. In the in vivo experiment, the osteoporosis stages were classified as normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis, and the bone-density parameters were estimated for the participants of each group. Thus, a basis for predicting the stage of osteoporosis was created, and data from new participants were collected and verified as test data. As a result, normal and abnormal groups (osteopenia and osteoporosis) were predicted.

Intrarater and Interrater Reliability of Quantitative Ultrasound Speed of Sound by Trained Raters at the Distal Radius in Postmenopausal Women

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) performed at the distal radius shows potential as an effective tool for evaluating fracture risk, especially in postmenopausal women, but the reliability of this tool has not been reported in this patient population. This study investigated the within-day intrarater and interrater reliability of trained raters performing QUS measures at the distal radius of postmenopausal community-dwelling women.

METHODS

Eighteen women between the ages of 56 and 87 years were recruited from senior centers in the Greenville area of South Carolina and consented to participate. A QUS bone sonometer was used in this study; the trained raters performed 3 repeated speed of sound (SOS) measures at the nondominant radius of each participant on the same day. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated (model 3,1 for intrarater and 2,3 for interrater reliability) to determine the reliability within and between raters. In addition, we calculated the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable change at 95% confidence interval (MDC 95 ).

RESULTS

The within-day intrarater reliability was excellent for both physical therapist raters (ICC (3,1) ranging from 0.93 to 0.91). The SEM and MDC for the within-day intrarater reliability measures were small for both raters (SEM = 36.79-38.75 or 0.92%-0.97% of the pooled mean; MDC 95  = 101.99-107.40). The interrater reliability for SOS measurements using radial QUS was good with an ICC (2,3) of 0.77 (95% CI, 0.36-0.92) for 3 averaged measures. The SEM and MDC were larger for the interrater reliability measures (SEM = 62.79 or 1.57% of the pooled mean; MDC 95  = 174.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative ultrasound SOS measurement at the distal radius showed excellent within-day intrarater and good interrater (when 3 measures were averaged) reliability in community-dwelling postmenopausal women. The SEM and MDC 95 were also low for interrater reliability when a mean of 3 trials was used. This study is the first to demonstrate that this particular QUS device at the radius may be a reliable fracture risk screening tool for postmenopausal women.

Influence of serum uric acid on bone and fracture risk in postmenopausal women

AIMS

Uric acid has been associated with several metabolic conditions, including bone diseases. Our objective here was to consider the relationship between serum uric acid levels and various bone parameters (bone mineral density, ultrasonographic parameters, vitamin D, PTH and serum calcium), as well as the prevalence and risk of fragility fracture.

METHODS

An observational and cross-sectional study carried out on 679 postmenopausal women, classified into 3 groups according to their serum uric acid levels, in whom bone densitometry, calcaneus ultrasounds, PTH, vitamin D and serum calcium analysis were done. Bone fractures were collected through the clinical history and lateral spinal X-ray.

RESULTS

Higher uric acid levels were found in women with older age, high BMI, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Higher levels of PTH and serum calcium were also observed, but did not effect on vitamin D. Serum uric acid was positively related to densitometric and ultrasonic parameters and negatively associated with vertebral fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

In the population of postmenopausal women studied, sUA levels were correlated with BMD, BUA, and QUI-Stiffness, and this correlation was independent of age and BMI. In addition, sUA was associated with a decrease in vertebral fractures. These results imply a beneficial influence of sUA on bone metabolism, with both a quantitative and qualitative positive effect, reflected in the lower prevalence of vertebral fractures.

The Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Tissues during Activities of Daily Living: Dynamic Assessment Using Quantitative Transmission-Mode Ultrasound Techniques

The measurement of musculoskeletal tissue properties and loading patterns during physical activity is important for understanding the adaptation mechanisms of tissues such as bone, tendon, and muscle tissues, particularly with injury and repair. Although the properties and loading of these connective tissues have been quantified using direct measurement techniques, these methods are highly invasive and often prevent or interfere with normal activity patterns. Indirect biomechanical methods, such as estimates based on electromyography, ultrasound, and inverse dynamics, are used more widely but are known to yield different parameter values than direct measurements. Through a series of literature searches of electronic databases, including Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and IEEE Explore, this paper reviews current methods used for the in vivo measurement of human musculoskeletal tissue and describes the operating principals, application, and emerging research findings gained from the use of quantitative transmission-mode ultrasound measurement techniques to non-invasively characterize human bone, tendon, and muscle properties at rest and during activities of daily living. In contrast to standard ultrasound imaging approaches, these techniques assess the interaction between ultrasound compression waves and connective tissues to provide quantifiable parameters associated with the structure, instantaneous elastic modulus, and density of tissues. By taking advantage of the physical relationship between the axial velocity of ultrasound compression waves and the instantaneous modulus of the propagation material, these techniques can also be used to estimate the in vivo loading environment of relatively superficial soft connective tissues during sports and activities of daily living. This paper highlights key findings from clinical studies in which quantitative transmission-mode ultrasound has been used to measure the properties and loading of bone, tendon, and muscle tissue during common physical activities in healthy and pathological populations.

Clinical Validation of a Deep Learning-Based Software for Lumbar Bone Mineral Density and T-Score Prediction from Chest X-ray Images

Screening for osteoporosis is crucial for early detection and prevention, yet it faces challenges due to the low accuracy of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and limited access to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans. Recent advances in AI offer a promising solution through opportunistic screening using existing medical images. This study aims to utilize deep learning techniques to develop a model that analyzes chest X-ray (CXR) images for osteoporosis screening. This study included the AI model development stage and the clinical validation stage. In the AI model development stage, the combined dataset of 5122 paired CXR images and DXA reports from the patients aged 20 to 98 years at a medical center was collected. The images were enhanced and filtered for hardware retention such as pedicle screws, bone cement, artificial intervertebral discs or severe deformity in target level of T12 and L1. The dataset was then separated into training, validating, and testing datasets for model training and performance validation. In the clinical validation stage, we collected 440 paired CXR images and DXA reports from both the TCVGH and Joy Clinic, including 304 pared data from TCVGH and 136 paired data from Joy Clinic. The pre-clinical test yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.940, while the clinical validation showed an AUC of 0.946. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.88. The model demonstrated an overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 89.0%, 88.7%, and 89.4%, respectively. This study proposes an AI model for opportunistic osteoporosis screening through CXR, demonstrating good performance and suggesting its potential for broad adoption in preliminary screening among high-risk populations.

State of the Art Imaging of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a common disease, particularly prevalent in geriatric populations, which causes significant worldwide morbidity due to increased bone fragility and fracture risk. Currently, the gold-standard modality for diagnosis and evaluation of osteoporosis progression and treatment relies on dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which measures bone mineral density (BMD) and calculates a score based upon standard deviation of measured BMD from the mean. However, other imaging modalities can also be used to evaluate osteoporosis. Here, we review historical as well as current research into development of new imaging modalities that can provide more nuanced or opportunistic analyses of bone quality, turnover, and density that can be helpful in triaging severity and determining treatment success in osteoporosis. We discuss the use of opportunistic computed tomography (CT) scans, as well as the use of quantitative CT to help determine fracture risk and perform more detailed bone quality analysis than would be allowed by DXA . Within magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), new developments include the use of advanced MRI techniques such as quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chemical shift encoding-based water-fat MRI (CSE-MRI) to enable clinicians improved assessment of nonmineralized bone compartments as well as a way to longitudinally assess bone quality without the repeated exposure to ionizing radiation. Within ultrasound, development of quantitative ultrasound shows promise particularly in future low-cost, broadly available screening tools. We focus primarily on historical and recent developments within radiotracer use as applicable to osteoporosis, particularly in the use of hybrid methods such as NaF-PET/CT, wherein patients with osteoporosis show reduced uptake of radiotracers such as NaF. Use of radiotracers may provide clinicians with even earlier detection windows for osteoporosis than would traditional biomarkers. Given the metabolic nature of this disease, current investigation into the role molecular imaging can play in the prediction of this disease as well as in replacing invasive diagnostic procedures shows particular promise.

Osteopenia and Osteoporosis Screening Detection: Calcaneal Quantitative Ultrasound with and without Calibration Factor Comparison to Gold Standard Dual X-ray Absorptiometry

BACKGROUND

osteoporosis is a worldwide major health problem that normally diagnosed in advanced stages. So, an early detection at preclinical stage is now an interesting issue. A key factor to early diagnosis the disease is the used of noninvasive bone densitometry. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard techniques for the proposed. However, the high cost, non-widely available and exposed to ionizing radiation are still a drawback of the machine. Therefore, a cheaper, smaller and non-ionizing device such quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is now a favor alternative method, but the possibility of used QUS measurement instead of DXA is still limited due to their uncertainties. So, the aim of our study was to calibrated the QUS with the DXA to allowing the possible to establish a calibration factor (CF) to improve the measured value closer to the standard method.

METHODOLOGY

135 healthy men and women aged 30-88 years were recruited for lumbar spine/femoral neck DXA and calcaneal QUS scanning. The Pearson's correlation between T- and Z-score from the two systems were studied. Moreover, the sensitivity, specificity and percentage of diagnosed accuracy for both with and without CF were calculated.

RESULTS

The significant correlation between the two systems showed a positive trajectory in highly correlation (r = 0.784-0.899). Analyses showed a higher sensitivity, specificity and reduced the misdiagnosed rates when applied the CF in QUS values.

CONCLUSIONS

QUS results showed a significantly correlated with DXA results for both lumbar spine and femoral neck sites with some percentage differences. These differences can be reduced by applied an individual specific machine CF to improve a QUS results. As identification of high risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis to reduce the demand of DXA propose, using a QUS alternative method can be a reliable that provide a cheaper and lack of ionizing radiation.

Insights and implications of sexual dimorphism in osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a metabolic bone disease characterized by low bone mineral density and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, has led to a high risk of fatal osteoporotic fractures worldwide. Accumulating evidence has revealed that sexual dimorphism is a notable feature of osteoporosis, with sex-specific differences in epidemiology and pathogenesis. Specifically, females are more susceptible than males to osteoporosis, while males are more prone to disability or death from the disease. To date, sex chromosome abnormalities and steroid hormones have been proven to contribute greatly to sexual dimorphism in osteoporosis by regulating the functions of bone cells. Understanding the sex-specific differences in osteoporosis and its related complications is essential for improving treatment strategies tailored to women and men. This literature review focuses on the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in osteoporosis, mainly in a population of aging patients, chronic glucocorticoid administration, and diabetes. Moreover, we highlight the implications of sexual dimorphism for developing therapeutics and preventive strategies and screening approaches tailored to women and men. Additionally, the challenges in translating bench research to bedside treatments and future directions to overcome these obstacles will be discussed.

Are there associations between hip geometry and bone quality? An analysis on 3074 adults from a general population

INTRODUCTION

Patients with reduced bone mineral density and altered hip geometry are susceptible for hip pathologies. Knowledge on associations between bone properties and hip geometric parameters might facilitate identification of patients at risk for hip pathologies. The aim of the present study was to identify associations of bone properties assessed by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) at the heel and hip geometric parameters like center-edge angle (CE), neck-shaft angle (NSA) and alpha angle.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hip geometric parameters (CE, NSA and alpha angle) of 3074 participants from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania were assessed on magnetic resonance imaging. QUS was performed on both calcanei providing broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS) and stiffness-index. Based on the stiffness-index the individual osteoporotic fracture risk (low, moderate or high) was determined. Associations between QUS-based and hip geometric parameters were calculated in linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, body height and weight. Interactions of QUS markers with age and sex on hip geometric parameters were tested.

RESULTS

Significant inverse associations between BUA (β = - 0.068), SOS (β = - 0.024) as well as stiffness-index (β = - 0.056) and CE were present, while fracture risk was positively associated with CE (β for high = 1.28 and moderate = 2.54 vs. low fracture risk). Interactions between BUA and sex as well as between SOS and age were detected in the models for CE. Furthermore, there was an inverse relation between fracture risk and NSA that was restricted to the moderate risk (β for moderate vs. low fracture risk = - 0.60). There were no significant associations between QUS parameters and alpha angle.

CONCLUSIONS

In the general population, several associations between QUS-based bone properties or fracture risk and hip geometry are present. Less dysplastic hips had a lower stiffness-index and a higher fracture risk, whereas more valgus hips had a lower fracture risk.

Fracture risk prediction in old Chinese people-a narrative review

With aging, the burden of osteoporotic fracture (OF) increases substantially, while China is expected to carry the greatest part in the future. The risk of fracture varies greatly across racial groups and geographic regions, and systematically organized evidence on the potential predictors for fracture risk is needed for Chinese. This review briefly introduces the epidemiology of OF and expands on the predictors and predictive tools for the risk of OF, as well as the challenges for their potential translation in the old Chinese population. There are regional differences of fracture incidence among China. The fracture incidences in Hong Kong and Taiwan have decreased in recent years, while it is still increasing in mainland China. Although the application of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is limited among old Chinese in the mainland, bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA has a predictive value similar to that worldwide. Other non-DXA modalities, especially heel QUS, are helpful in assessing bone health. The fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) has a good discrimination ability for OFs, especially the FRAX with BMD. And some clinical factors have added value to FRAX, which has been verified in old Chinese. In addition, although the application of the osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) in Chinese needs further validation, it may help identify high-risk populations in areas with limited resources. Moreover, the translation use of the muscle quality and genetic or serum biomarkers in fracture prediction needs further works. More applicable and targeted fracture risk predictors and tools are still needed for the old Chinese population.

Effects of prenatal single and mixed bisphenol exposure on bone mineral density in preschool children: A population-based prospective cohort study

Exposure to bisphenols can affect bone mineral density (BMD) in animals and humans. However, the effects of maternal exposure to bisphenols during pregnancy on bone health in preschool children remain unknown. We aimed to assess the effects of prenatal exposure to single and multiple bisphenols on bone health in preschool children. A total of 230 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Generalized linear regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), principal component analysis (PCA), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were utilized to assess the relationship between bisphenol levels and bone health in preschool children. Each natural log (Ln) unit increase in tetrabromobisphenol A was related to a 0.007 m/s (95 % CI: -0.015, 0.000) decrease in Ln-transformed speed of sound (SOS) among girls. Decreased BMD Z scores in preschool children were found only in the high bisphenol S exposure group (β = -0.568; 95 % CI: -1.087, -0.050) in boys. The risk of low BMD (BMDL) was significantly higher in the middle-exposure group (OR = 4.695; 95 % CI: 1.143, 24.381) and high-exposure group of BPS (OR = 6.165, 95 % CI: 1.445, 33.789) compared with the low-exposure group in boys. In girls, the risk of BMDL decreased with increasing bisphenol A concentration (OR = 0.413, 95 % CI: 0.215, 0.721). RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped nonlinear correlation between BPB concentration and BMDL in girls (P-overall = 0.011, P-nonlinear = 0.009). In PCA, a U-shaped dose-response relationship was found between PC2 and the risk of BMDL (P-overall = 0.048, P-nonlinear = 0.032), and a significant association was only noted in girls when stratified by sex. The BKMR model revealed a horizontal S-shaped curve relationship between bisphenol mixtures and BMDL in girls. The results indicated that prenatal exposure to single and mixed bisphenols can affect BMD in preschool children, exerting nonmonotonic and child sex-specific effects.

Determinants of Z-Score of Bone Mineral Density among Premenopausal Saudi Females in Different Age Groups: A Cross Sectional Study

This is a comparative multicenter cross-sectional study that evaluated the potential determinants of Z-scores among premenopausal Saudi women before and after the age of peak bone density. The Study concluded that for better BMD among premenopausal women, attention should be paid to early physical activity and healthy nutrition, especially vitamin D, during the childbearing period.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the potential determinants of Z-scores among premenopausal Saudi females in different age groups before and after the expected age of peak bone density (PBD).

METHODS

This multicenter comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Madinah and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between August 2021 and March 2022. We recruited 886 premenopausal females (605 (68.3%) below and 281 (31.7%) at or above the age of 30). The structured pre-coded Arabic questionnaire included sociodemographic data, a BMD questionnaire, menstrual history, an Arab Teen Lifestyle Study questionnaire, and food frequency data. Metabolic Equivalents (METs) were calculated from physical activity. Analysis of serum PTH, 25(OH) vitamin D (VD) was performed with chemiluminescent immunoassay. BMD was measured with a calcaneal qualitative ultrasound.

RESULTS

Most women had age-matched Z-scores, with very few (24 (2.7%)) being non-age-matched with no identified secondary causes. Significant Z-score determinants before PBD were BMI (OR: 0.167, p = 0.003) and total METs (OR: 0.160, p < 0.005). After the age of PBD, significant predictors were parity (OR: 0.340, p = 0.042), history of vitamin D deficiency (OR: 0.352, p = 0.048), and BMI (OR: 0.497, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

Early determinants of Z-scores among premenopausal women were the nutritional status and physical activity. After the age of PBD, parity and vitamin D status offer additional determinants. For better BMD, attention should be paid to early physical activity and healthy nutrition, especially for vitamin D, with intensification of efforts during the childbearing period.

Study of Ultrasonic Guided Wave Propagation in Bone Composite Structures for Revealing Osteoporosis Diagnostic Indicators

Tubular bones are layered waveguide structures composed of soft tissue, cortical and porous bone tissue, and bone marrow. Ultrasound diagnostics of such biocomposites are based on the guided wave excitation and registration by piezoelectric transducers applied to the waveguide surface. Meanwhile, the upper sublayers shield the diseased interior, creating difficulties in extracting information about its weakening from the surface signals. To overcome these difficulties, we exploit the advantages of the Green's matrix-based approach and adopt the methods and algorithms developed for the guided wave structural health monitoring of industrial composites. Based on the computer models implementing this approach and experimental measurements performed on bone phantoms, we analyze the feasibility of using different wave characteristics to detect hidden diagnostic signs of developing osteoporosis. It is shown that, despite the poor excitability of the most useful modes associated with the diseased inner layers, the use of the improved matrix pencil method combined with objective functions based on the Green's matrix allows for effective monitoring of changes in the elastic moduli of the deeper sublayers. We also note the sensitivity and monotonic dependence of the resonance response frequencies on the degradation of elastic properties, making them a promising indicator for osteoporosis diagnostics.

Association between walking speed and calcaneus stiffness index in older adults

INTRODUCTION

The aim here is to examine the association between objectively measured usual walking speed (UWS) and bone status in community-dwelling older Chinese.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of a population of 1528 adults (817 females, mean age 68.5 ± 5.3; 711 males, mean age 69.1 ± 5.2) aged 60-79, living in communities in Shanghai. Walking speed was assessed using a 4-m walk test at a usual-pace walking speed a walking speed at which the subject felt relaxed-and bone status measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The health-related characteristics of participants include family background, physical activity level, chronic disease, smoking and alcohol consumption, frequency of falls, vitamin intake, and hormone therapy.

RESULTS

Multiple linear regression is used to analyses any association between UWS and bone status, adjusting for confounding factors showing a significant association between faster UWS and a higher calcaneal stiffness index (SI) (p < 0.01). Comparing the lowest quartile of the data set with the highest at UWS, a high SI is achieved with 5.34 (95% CI = 3.22, 7.46) (p < 0.01), after adjusting for confounders. An increase of 1 dm/s was associated with a 0.91 (95% CI = 0.53, 1.29) increase in SI. This relationship for most subgroups is consistent.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that UWS can be a sensitive indicator of calcaneal bone loss among an older population.

Prenatal and Neonatal Bone Health: Updated Review on Early Identification of Newborns at High Risk for Osteopenia

Bone health starts with maternal health and nutrition, which influences bone mass and density already in utero. The mechanisms underlying the effect of the intrauterine environment on bone health are partly unknown but certainly include the 'foetal programming' of oxidative stress and endocrine systems, which influence later skeletal growth and development. With this narrative review, we describe the current evidence for identifying patients with risk factors for developing osteopenia, today's management of these populations, and screening and prevention programs based on gestational age, weight, and morbidity. Challenges for bone health prevention include the need for new technologies that are specific and applicable to pregnant women, the foetus, and, later, the newborn. Radiofrequency ultrasound spectrometry (REMS) has proven to be a useful tool in the assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) in pregnant women. Few studies have reported that transmission ultrasound can also be used to assess BMD in newborns. The advantages of this technology in the foetus and newborn are the absence of ionising radiation, ease of use, and, above all, the possibility of performing longitudinal studies from intrauterine to extrauterine life. The use of these technologies already in the intrauterine period could help prevent associated diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, which are characterised by a reduction in bone mass and degeneration of bone structure and lead to an increased risk of fractures in adulthood with considerable social repercussions for the related direct and indirect costs.

Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus (QUS): A valuable tool in the identification of patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer requiring screening for osteoporosis

Non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) patients are at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures mainly due to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-associated hypogonadism, but this remains largely underdiagnosed and untreated. In this study, we examine the value of pre-screening calcaneal QUS in identifying patients who should be referred for screening for osteoporosis using dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA). In a single-center retrospective cross-sectional cohort study, we analysed data on DXA and calcaneal QUS measurements systematically collected between 2011 and 2013 in all non-metastatic PCa patients attending our Uro-Oncological Clinic at the Leiden University Medical Center. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of QUS T-scores of 0, -1.0, and - 1.8 in identifying DXA-diagnosed osteoporosis (T-scores ≤ - 2.5 and ≤ -2) at lumbar spine and/or femoral neck. Complete sets of data were available in 256 patients, median age 70.9 (53.6-89.5) years; 93.0 % had received local treatment, 84.4 % with additional ADT. Prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was respectively 10.5 % and 53 %. Mean QUS T-score was -0.54 ± 1.58. Whereas PPV at any QUS T-score was <25 %, precluding the use of QUS as surrogate for DXA in screening for osteoporosis, QUS T-scores of -1.0 to 0.0 had a NPV of ≥94.5 % for DXA T-scores ≤ 2.5 and ≤ -2 at any site, confidently identifying patients least likely to have osteoporosis, thereby significantly reducing the number of patients requiring DXA screening for diagnosing osteoporosis by up to two-third. Osteoporosis screening is a significant unmet need in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with ADT, and QUS may represent a valuable alternative pre-screening strategy to overcome logistics, time demands, and economic barriers encountered with current strategies for osteoporosis screening in these patients.

Summary

Osteoporosis and associated increased fracture risk are common in non-metastatic prostate carcinoma, mainly due to androgen deprivation therapy, but these often remain underdiagnosed and untreated. We demonstrate that QUS is a safe, less costly pre-screen tool that reduces by up to two-third the number of patients requiring referral for DXA for osteoporosis screening.

Quantitative Ultrasound and Bone Health in Elderly People, a Systematic Review

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis, and their associated fractures are one of the main musculoskeletal disorders of the elderly. Quickness in diagnosis could prevent associated complications in these people. This study aimed to perform a systematic review (SR) to analyze and synthesize current research on whether a calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) can estimate BMD and predict fracture risk in elderly people compared to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), following the PRISMA guidelines. A search was conducted in the main open-access health science databases: PubMed and Web of Science (WOS). DXA is the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Despite controversial results, it can be concluded that the calcaneal QUS tool may be a promising method to evaluate BMD in elderly people, facilitating its prevention and diagnosis. However, further studies are needed to validate the use of calcaneal QUS.

Biomechanical structure-function relations for human trabecular bone - comparison of calcaneus, femoral neck, greater trochanter, proximal tibia, and vertebra

MicroCT-based finite element models were used to compute power law relations for uniaxial compressive yield stress versus bone volume fraction for 78 cores of human trabecular bone from five anatomic sites. The leading coefficient of the power law for calcaneus differed from those for most of the other sites (p < 0.05). However, after normalizing by site-specific mean values, neither the leading coefficient (p > 0.5) nor exponent (p > 0.5) differed among sites, suggesting that a given percentage deviation from mean bone volume fraction has the same mechanical consequence for all sites investigated. These findings help explain the success of calcaneal x-ray and ultrasound measurements for predicting hip fracture risk.

Can Ultrasonographic Measurement of Bone Cortical Thickness Predict Osteoporosis?

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

In this study, we aimed to describe a more accessible and safe diagnostic tool for osteoporosis or osteopenia diagnosis. We utilized cortical thickness (CoT) measurement of various bones via ultrasonography and evaluated the method's accuracy relative to bone mineral density (BMD) results determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 200 volunteers (all female) who agreed to participate in the study and had undergone BMD measurement (femoral or vertebral) were included in the study. Patients with normal BMD result (≥-1.0 T-score) were defined as controls. CoT measurements were made from three bones (radius, tibia, and second metatarsal) for each patient via ultrasonography.

RESULTS

Radius CoT and tibial CoT measurements of both femoral and vertebral osteoporotic or osteopenic patients were significantly higher compared to controls. Second metatarsal CoT of femoral osteoporotic and osteopenic patients was also found to be significantly higher than the control group. We found tibia CoT and radius CoT to have high sensitivity and positive predictive value in identifying patients with abnormal femoral T-scores (<-1). In multivariable analyzes, radius CoT was found to be independently predictive in distinguishing patients with abnormal T-score (<-1) from controls in both the femur and vertebral BMD groups.

CONCLUSION

Radius CoT and tibia CoT values appear to have value in predicting patients with abnormal T-scores measured via DXA. This method may be a very simple technique that can be used for early detection of osteoporosis and osteopenia, but its results need to be supported by more comprehensive studies.

Association between global biomarker of oxidative stress and quantitative ultrasound parameters in middle-aged and elderly adults: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

With the population aging, osteoporosis has become a major public health concern. Elevated oxidative stress is a vital detrimental factor for bone health. Compared to common oxidative stress-related biomarkers, Fluorescent Oxidation Products (FlOPs) reflect the global levels of oxidation from proteins, lipids, and DNA. Nevertheless, whether plasma FlOP levels are related to bone health measured by Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is unclear. Thus, the present study examined the association between FlOPs and QUS parameters in middle-aged and elderly adults.

Methods

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Changchun, northeast China. Plasma FlOPs were determined by a fluorescent microplate reader at a wavelength of 320/420 nm (excitation/emission). QUS parameters [speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA)] of the calcaneus were assessed by an ultrasound bone densitometer. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association between FlOPs and QUS parameters.

Results

A total of 491 subjects were included in this study. Their average age was 65.2 years (standard deviation [SD]: 9.7 years). FlOPs were inversely associated with SOS (β for an increase of logarithmic interquartile range = -10.64; P = 0.018). Higher FlOP levels were marginally associated with lower SOS in females (β for an increase of logarithmic interquartile range = -9.68, P = 0.066), but not in males (β for an increase of logarithmic interquartile range = -11.84, P = 0.131). No significant relationship between FlOPs and BUA was observed.

Conclusions

Plasma FlOP levels were inversely associated with SOS, but not with BUA in middle-aged and elderly adults.

Diminished cortical bone density of long bones among children with haemophilic arthropathy

INTRODUCTION

Children with haemophilia (CwH) have lower bone mineral density in the spine (trabecular bone) than healthy children. There are few studies focusing on bone mineral density in long bones (cortical bone).

AIM

To evaluate bi-laterally the distal third of radius and midshaft tibias using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and assess the speed of sound (SoS).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study where 91 CwH and 91 age-matched healthy boys were included. Joint evaluation was determined with the Haemophilia Joint Health Score 2.1 and SoS values. The Z scores were measured with the Sunlight Omnisense 8000 S equipment.

RESULTS

Ninety-one CwH (haemophilia A) were evaluated (26 mild form, 26 moderate, and 39 severe). Most patients were treated with on-demand factor replacement and had higher total HJHS scores according to severity (4.8, 14.8 and 14.1, respectively). Patients with moderate and severe disease showed a statistical difference in SoS values for both radius and tibias compared to controls. QUS Z-scores ≥-2 were more frequent in radius and tibias in CwH, but were statistically significant only in tibias when compared to controls (in 30% mild, 46% moderate, 28% severe, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

There was diminished cortical bone density in radius and tibias of CwH compared to healthy controls. Changes predominated in tibias, more frequently affected according to the severity of haemophilia. Early intervention with factor replacement combined with physical activity are key aspects to promote bone health.

Osteoporosis diagnosis in knee X-rays by transfer learning based on convolution neural network

Osteoporosis degrades the quality of bones and is the primary cause of fractures in the elderly and women after menopause. The high diagnostic and treatment costs urge the researchers to find a cost-effective diagnostic system to diagnose osteoporosis in the early stages. X-ray imaging is the cheapest and most common imaging technique to detect bone pathologies butmanual interpretation of x-rays for osteoporosis is difficult and extraction of required features and selection of high-performance classifiers is a very challenging task. Deep learning systems have gained the popularity in image analysis field over the last few decades. This paper proposes a convolution neural network (CNN) based approach to detect osteoporosis from x-rays. In our study, we have used the transfer learning of deep learning-based CNNs namely AlexNet, VggNet-16, ResNet, and VggNet -19 to classify the x-ray images of knee joints into normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis disease groups. The main objectives of the current study are: (i) to present a dataset of 381 knee x-rays medically validated by the T-scores obtained from the Quantitative Ultrasound System, and (ii) to propose a deep learning approach using transfer learning to classify different stages of the disease. The performance of these classifiers is compared and the best accuracy of 91.1% is achieved by pretrained Alexnet architecture on the presented dataset with an error rate of 0.09 and validation loss of 0.54 as compared to the accuracy of 79%, an error rate of 0.21, and validation loss of 0.544 when pretrained network was not used.. The results of the study suggest that a deep learning system with transfer learning can help clinicians to detect osteoporosis in its early stages hence reducing the risk of fractures.

Osteoporosis Diagnostic Model Using a Multichannel Convolutional Neural Network Based on Quantitative Ultrasound Radiofrequency Signal

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a promising screening method for osteoporosis. In this study, a new method to improve the diagnostic accuracy of QUS was established in which a multichannel convolutional neural network (MCNN) processes the raw radiofrequency (RF) signal of QUS. The improvement in the diagnostic accuracy of osteoporosis using this new method was evaluated by comparison with the conventional speed of sound (SOS) method. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used as the diagnostic standard. After being trained, validated and tested in a data set consisting of 274 participants, the MCNN model could significantly raise the accuracy of osteoporosis diagnosis compared with the SOS method. The adjusted MCNN model performed even better when adjusted by age, height and weight data. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the adjusted MCNN method for osteoporosis diagnosis were 80.86%, 84.23% and 83.05%, respectively; the corresponding values for SOS were 50.60%, 73.68% and 66.67%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the adjusted MCNN method was also higher than that of SOS (0.846 vs. 0.679). In conclusion, our study indicates that the MCNN method may be more accurate than the conventional SOS method. The MCNN tool and ultrasound RF signal analysis are promising future developmental directions for QUS in screening for osteoporosis.

Peripheral bone density measurement: An interdisciplinary initiative for improving health outcomes for people with learning disabilities

Challenges exist in respect of people with intellectual disabilities who, with the increasing life expectancy, have a growing risk of age-related degenerative conditions. Changes in bone health are associated with increasing age and the bone health of people who have intellectual disabilities is well documented in the literature as being poor in comparison to the general population. A heel scan clinic was set up in an intellectual disability service as a service improvement initiative. There were 12 females and 17 males scanned using a heel scanner. Only 3 (10.3%) people with intellectual disabilities were in the normal bone mineral density (BMD) range. Peripheral BMD screening for people has been shown to provide important information about the bone health of people with intellectual disabilities which has prompted further treatment by general practitioners and has the potential to provide an accessible way to obtain information on the bone health of people with intellectual disabilities.

Bone Quality in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Determined by Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) of the Calcaneus: Influence of Sex Differences

(1) Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a relatively common neurodegenerative disease in elderly individuals, with a high risk of falls. There is abundant literature on the relationship between PD and osteoporosis. The aim of this study is to describe the bone quality of a population with PD by calcaneal ultrasound and to compare it with a healthy control, assessing the influence of possible sex differences. (2) Methods: 21 patients diagnosed with PD were recruited. The control group was composed of 30 healthy individuals with similar sociodemographic characteristics. The bone quality of all participants was assessed using calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The parameters recorded were broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA, in decibels per megahertz), imaging speed of sound (SOS, in meters per second), stiffness index (SI) and T-score of each participant. Bone mineral density (BMD) was estimated using the equation BMD = 0.002592 × (BUA + SOS) − 3.687 (g/cm2). (3) Results: significant differences were observed between the healthy control and the PD group: the T-score was lower in the PD group (p < 0.05) and SOS was higher in Parkinson’s disease patients (p < 0.05), while 28.6% of the PD patients were osteoporotic with T-score values lower than −1.5 compared to 16.7% of osteoporotic individuals in the control group (p < 0.01). Regarding the sex, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) between the females of the PD group vs. control group, showing a significant difference in the SI (71.4 ± 14.7 vs. 87.8 ± 12), T-score (−2.19 ± 1.1 vs. −0.15 ± 0.8), BUA (104.5 ± 13 vs. 116 ± 10.6) and BMD (0.49 ± 0.09 vs. 0.60 ± 0.08), with no difference in the comparison between the male groups; and the comparison between both sexes in T-score only showed significant differences for the PD group (p < 0.05), with worse bone quality in women. (4) Conclusions: this study shows poorer bone quality in female patients with PD, who have a higher percentage of osteoporosis than healthy patients. The QUS technique of the calcaneus seems adequate for these determinations in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Quantitative Ultrasound of Phalanx in Primary and Secondary Osteoporosis: Mini-review and Practical Experience

Objective:

Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is gold standard of bone densitometry, but quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of bone is less expensive and portable. This study was designed to assess its usefulness in secondary osteoporosis diagnosis.

Materials and Methods:

There were 200 secondary osteoporosis cases (rheumatoid arthritis, hemodialysis, kidney transplant patients, and levothyroxine users) and of those, their phalanx QUS results were compared with normal controls. Also, the QUS and DXA results were compared to find any correlation of these methods for diagnosing osteoporosis.

Results:

There was not significantly different results compared with normal controls, except for those of hemodialysis patients ( P = .00). Also, the comparison of QUS with DXA results showed no significant correlation except in hemodialysis patients, in both spinal and femoral regions ( P = .023 and .21, respectively), as well as the levothyroxine group’s spinal region ( P = .005).

Conclusion:

These results suggest that QUS of phalanx may be useful in screening secondary osteoporosis but for establishment of diagnosis, DXA measurements are still needed.

Ability of radiofrequency echographic multispectrometry to identify osteoporosis status in elderly women with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have an increased or normal BMD; however fragility fractures represent one of the most important complications of T2DM.

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate whether the use of the Radiofrequency Echographic multi spectrometry (REMS) technique may improve the identification of osteoporosis in T2DM patients.

METHODS

In a cohort of 90 consecutive postmenopausal elderly (70.5 ± 7.6 years) women with T2DM and in 90 healthy controls we measured BMD at the lumbar spine (LS-BMD), at femoral neck (FN-BMD) and total hip (TH-BMD) using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry device; moreover, REMS scans were also carried out at the same axial sites.

RESULTS

DXA measurements were all higher in T2DM than in non-T2DM women; instead, all REMS measurements were lower in T2DM than in non T2DM women. Moreover, the percentage of T2DM women classified as "osteoporotic", on the basis of BMD by REMS was markedly higher with respect to those classified by DXA (47.0% vs 28.0%, respectively). On the contrary, the percentage of T2DM women classified as osteopenic or normal by DXA was higher with respect to that by REMS (48.8% and 23.2% vs 38.6% and 14.5%, respectively). T2DM women with fragility fractures presented lower values of both BMD-LS by DXA and BMD-LS by REMS with respect to those without fractures; however, the difference was significant only for BMD-LS by REMS (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that REMS technology may represent a useful approach to enhance the diagnosis of osteoporosis in patients with T2DM.

Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) in the Management of Osteoporosis and Assessment of Fracture Risk: An Update

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) presents a low cost and readily available alternative to DXA measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment. It is performed in a variety of skeletal sites, among which the most widely investigated and clinically used are first the calcaneus and then the radius. Nevertheless, there is still uncertainty in the incorporation of QUS in the clinical management of osteoporosis as the level of clinical validation differs substantially upon the QUS models available. In fact, results from a given QUS device can unlikely be extrapolated to another one, given the technological differences between QUS devices. The use of QUS in clinical routine to identify individuals at low or high risk of fracture could be considered primarily when central DXA is not easily available. In this later case, it is recommended that QUS bone parameters are used in combination with established clinical risk factors for fracture. Currently, stand-alone QUS is not recommended for treatment initiation decision making or follow-up. As WHO classification of osteoporosis thresholds cannot apply to QUS, thresholds specific for given QUS devices and parameters need to be determined and cross-validated widely to have a well-defined and certain use of QUS in osteoporosis clinical workflow. Despite the acknowledged current clinical limitations for QUS to be used more widely in daily routine, substantial progresses have been made and new results are promising.

Pore-Size Distribution and Frequency-Dependent Attenuation in Human Cortical Tibia Bone Discriminate Fragility Fractures in Postmenopausal Women With Low Bone Mineral Density

Osteoporosis is a disorder of bone remodeling leading to reduced bone mass, structural deterioration, and increased bone fragility. The established diagnosis is based on the measurement of areal bone mineral density by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), which poorly captures individual bone loss and structural decay. Enlarged cortical pores in the tibia have been proposed to indicate structural deterioration and reduced bone strength in the hip. Here, we report for the first time the in vivo assessment of the cortical pore‐size distribution together with frequency‐dependent attenuation at the anteromedial tibia midshaft by means of a novel ultrasonic cortical backscatter (CortBS) technology. We hypothesized that the CortBS parameters are associated with the occurrence of fragility fractures in postmenopausal women (n = 55). The discrimination performance was compared with those of DXA and high‐resolution peripheral computed tomography (HR‐pQCT). The results suggest a superior discrimination performance of CortBS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.69 ≤ AUC ≤ 0.75) compared with DXA (0.54 ≤ AUC ≤ 0.55) and a similar performance compared with HR‐pQCT (0.66 ≤ AUC ≤ 0.73). CortBS is the first quantitative bone imaging modality that can quantify microstructural tissue deteriorations in cortical bone, which occur during normal aging and the development of osteoporosis. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Metacarpal bone diameter increases constantly in adult females, but escalated resorption of the inner surface at menopause explains the observed decreased bone mineral density at digital X-ray radiogrammetry

OBJECTIVE

To assess how bone morphology and mineralization changes with age, in women by digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR). DXR has potential as a screening tool for osteoporosis, as it can evaluate bone mineralization similarly to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

METHODS

The nondominant hand was analyzed with DXR in 13,285 women ages 40-74 years undergoing mammography. 1,556 women attended two consecutive examinations with 18 to 24 months interval. Changes in bone parameters were calculated and compared in 5-year age groups. Regression analysis and ANOVA tests were performed.

RESULTS

Univariate linear regression showed no significant difference in age or bone size between the groups with single or consecutive measurements. In the group with consecutive measurements, the average inner diameter (DXR-ID) of the metacarpals significantly increased with age from 0.38 cm in the 40-45 years age span to 0.47 cm in the 65+ age group (P < 0.001), whereas DXR bone mineral density (DXR-BMD) decreased from 0.59 g/cm2 to 0.50 g/cm2 in the same age groups (P < 0.001). Intraindividual measurements showed a fourfold increase in yearly DXR-ID increase and concurrent DXR-BMD loss between 50 and 59 years of age (P < 0.001). The outer diameter only increased significantly between the youngest and oldest age group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The faster decrease in DXR-BMD observed during and after menopause is caused by resorption of the inner cortical surface, not matched by outer diameter increase. We speculate that most bones in the human body grow in the same pattern as observed in the metacarpals, partly explaining decreasing BMD at DXR and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Osteoporosis Diagnosis Based on Ultrasound Radio Frequency Signal via Multi-channel Convolutional Neural Network

Osteoporosis is a metabolic osteopathy syndrome, and the incidence of osteoporosis increases significantly with age. Currently, bone quantitative ultrasound (QUS) has been considered as a potential method for screening and diagnosing osteoporosis. However, its diagnostic accuracy is quite low. By contrast, deep learning based methods have shown the great power for extracting the most discriminative features from complex data. To improve the osteoporosis diagnostic accuracy and take advantages of QUS, we devise a deep learning method based on ultrasound radio frequency (RF) signal. Specifically, we construct a multi-channel convolutional neural network (MCNN) combined with a sliding window scheme, which can enhance the number of data as well. By using speed of sound (SOS), the quantitative experimental results of our preliminary study indicate that our proposed osteoporosis diagnosis method outperforms the conventional ultrasound methods, which may assist the clinician for osteoporosis screening.

Quantitative ultrasound assessment of the effect of parity on bone mineral density in females

Background

The effect of pregnancy and breastfeeding on a female’s bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial. This prospective study aims to investigate the effect of parity on BMD among pre-menopausal multiparous females using quantitative ultrasound as a screening method and females with no pregnancies (nulliparous) as a control group.

Methods

A portable ultrasound-based bone densitometer (DMS PEGASUS SMART, Mauguio, France) was used to indirectly assess the BMD in 51 multiparous (29–45 years) and 51 nulliparous Arabic females (18–35 years) by quantifying the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) from their right calcaneus bone. BUA > 70 db/mhz = normal, BUA 65–69.9 db/mhz = below average, BUA 55–64.9 db/mhz = osteopenia and BUA < 55 db/mhz = osteoporosis.

Results

There was a significant difference in mean BUA between multiparous and nulliparous females (74.1 db/mhz vs. 69.3 db/mhz, p = 0.006). The prevalence of normal BMD was significantly higher in the nulliparous group than in the multiparous group (70.6% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.02). Osteoporosis was found in the multiparous group only (3/51). Among the multiparous females who breastfed (43/51), a total of 51.2% (22/43) had normal BMD, 25.6% (11/43) had BMD below average, 18.6% (8/43) had osteopenia and 4.7% (2/43) had osteoporosis. No significant differences in mean BUA (p = 0.2) were found between the group of females who breastfed for one year (13/43; BUA: 70.5 ± 9.4), the group of females who breastfed for 6–11 months (8/43; BUA: 70.6 ± 10.0) and those who breastfed for less than six months (22/43; BUA: 71.6 ± 9.4). A binary logistic regression model built for predicting BMD normality showed significance for the variable parity (p = 0.03), while the effect of the possible confounding variables BMI and age on BMD normality was found to be non- significant (p = 0.1 and p = 0.6, respectively).

Conclusion

Parity affects the BMD, as assessed by a portable ultrasound-based bone densitometer, of young and middle-aged females as compared to the BMD of nulliparous females.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-021-01516-w.

Quantitative Ultrasound of the Heel in Women With Knee Osteoarthritis

The prevalence of multiple falls is higher in older women, and knee pain is associated with multiple falls in women; thus, it is important to detect individuals at risk of fractures among women with knee osteoarthritis. We aimed to clarify the association between knee osteoarthritis and the quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameter, and investigate the clinical relevance of the QUS parameter with osteoarthritis-related characteristics in women with knee osteoarthritis. This was a cross-sectional study. We recruited 101 women with knee osteoarthritis at a local orthopedic hospital and 102 healthy individuals from the community. Heel QUS measurements were performed using the QUS device, measuring the stiffness index. We also assessed knee pain, quadriceps strength, and physical activity in women with knee osteoarthritis. We fitted a multiple regression model to estimate the association between knee osteoarthritis and the stiffness index. We also fitted 3 multiple regression models to investigate the clinical relevance of the QUS parameter with osteoarthritis-related characteristics in women with knee osteoarthritis. Compared with the control group, individuals with grade 2 osteoarthritis did not demonstrate a significant difference in stiffness index (p = 0.68); however, those with grade 3 osteoarthritis (p < 0.001) and 4 (p < 0.001) showed a lower stiffness index than that of the control group. Additionally, although the QUS parameter did not show an association with knee pain score (p = 0.70) or quadriceps strength (p = 0.11), we found a significant association between the QUS parameter and physical activity (p = 0.003). Our results demonstrate that women with moderate or severe knee osteoarthritis showed lower QUS parameters compared to healthy women, and the QUS parameter was associated with physical activity in women with knee osteoarthritis.

Comparison of quantitative ultrasound of calcaneus and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in measuring bone density and predicting fractures in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy: A prospective cohort study

AIMS

Compare quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of calcaneus and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as measurements of bone density, calculate 20-year fracture incidence in patients with T1DM and T2DM and multiple complications, and compare the methods' predictive ability.

METHODS

Sixty-two hospital foot clinic patients with T1DM or T2DM and complications were followed (1995-2015; 610 person-years). Clinical assessments and QUS of calcaneus were performed on all at inclusion and DXA of the spine and femoral neck on a subgroup (n = 34). Fracture incidence was assessed at follow-up and compared to incidence in the general population. We evaluated the correlation between QUS of calcaneus and DXA (Pearson's correlation test) and the association between bone density and fracture incidence at follow-up (logistic regression).

RESULTS

Bone density (QUS of calcaneus) correlated with hip bone density (DXA). Incidence of all fractures (30/62 patients; 48%) and hip fractures (6/62 patients; 10%) was higher in patients than the general population. Twelve (19%) experienced foot fracture. QUS of calcaneus predicted hip, lower leg, and foot fractures; DXA did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Because QUS of calcaneus predicted fractures in patients with diabetes and multiple complications, it seems appropriate to test QUS of calcaneus as a fracture risk predictor in primary care.

Lower bone mineral density and higher bone resorption marker levels in premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes in Japan

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Type 1 diabetes is associated with poorer bone quality. Quantitative ultrasound provides an estimate of bone mineral density (BMD) and can also be used to evaluate bone quality, which is associated with an increased fracture risk in people with type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between menopausal status and a bone turnover marker with heel BMD using quantitative ultrasound in women with type 1 diabetes and age- and body mass index-matched controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 124 individuals recruited in Kyoto and Osaka, Japan - 62 women with type 1 diabetes (mean age 47.2 ± 17.3 years) and 62 age-, menopausal status-, sex- and body mass index-matched non-diabetic control individuals (mean age 47.3 ± 16.3 years) - were enrolled in this study. Heel BMD in the calcaneus was evaluated using ultrasonography (AOS-100NW, Hitachi-Aloka Medical, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). A bone turnover marker was also measured.

RESULTS

The heel BMD Z-score was significantly lower in premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes than in the premenopausal control group, but not in postmenopausal women with type 1 diabetes. Levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b, a bone resorption marker, were significantly higher in premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes than in the premenopausal control group, but not in postmenopausal women with type 1 diabetes. The whole parathyroid hormone level was significantly lower in both pre- and postmenopausal women with type 1 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower heel BMD, higher tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b level and lower parathyroid hormone were observed in premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes. Premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes require osteoporosis precautions for postmenopause.

Identification of Bone Density Changes Applying Impedance Spectroscopy with a Piezo-Device Coupled to a Human Tooth

Bone tissue is a calcium deposit and supporting structure of the human body, it is exposed to several pathologies that modify its mineral content. To determine these changes, different diagnostic procedures are performed with techniques using invasive ionizing radiation, which are limited by the negative effects in the long term on human health. A methodology is explored that could be applicable in the diagnosis of pathologic variations in bone mineral density, using structural monitoring tools. The proposed technique estimates changes in bone conditions by applying impedance spectroscopy with a tooth-borne piezo-device. Bone-tooth samples were prepared to simulate a section of maxillary bone and subsequently treated with chemical agents, simulating pathologic decalcification. The piezo-device is inserted in the slot of an orthodontic bracket, previously bonded to the crown of the tooth, in order to transmit vibration to surrounding bone. The variations in bone micro-architecture were computed by image processing analyzed with samples prepared in transparent resin, allowing the measurement of morphometry before and after the induced changes in mineral content. Using vibrational bone response, impedance measurements allowed to observe the variations in bone mass as the samples were progressively decalcified. In the 5-50kHz spectrum, it was demonstrated the sensitivity of the electro-mechanical impedance during the bone alteration procedure since the electrical resistance signals of the piezo-device consistently changed in the frequency spectrum (5-50kHz). The piezo-device shows to be sensitive to the changes produced by the bone alterations, which were caused by the stiffness variations made in the sample during the decalcifying. These changes were statistically correlated to demonstrate that in a less invasive way, bone alterations could be monitored from the teeth. This result opens the door to search for a new way to diagnose bone density changes in real applications.

Characterization of Structural Bone Properties through Portable Single-Sided NMR Devices: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a well-suited methodology to study bone composition and structural properties. This is because the NMR parameters, such as the T2 relaxation time, are sensitive to the chemical and physical environment of the 1H nuclei. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows bone structure assessment in vivo, its cost limits the suitability of conventional MRI for routine bone screening. With difficulty accessing clinically suitable exams, the diagnosis of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, and the associated fracture risk estimation is based on the assessment of bone mineral density (BMD), obtained by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). However, integrating the information about the structure of the bone with the bone mineral density has been shown to improve fracture risk estimation related to osteoporosis. Portable NMR, based on low-field single-sided NMR devices, is a promising and appealing approach to assess NMR properties of biological tissues with the aim of medical applications. Since these scanners detect the signal from a sensitive volume external to the magnet, they can be used to perform NMR measurement without the need to fit a sample inside a bore of a magnet, allowing, in principle, in vivo application. Techniques based on NMR single-sided devices have the potential to provide a high impact on the clinical routine because of low purchasing and running costs and low maintenance of such scanners. In this review, the development of new methodologies to investigate structural properties of trabecular bone exploiting single-sided NMR devices is reviewed, and current limitations and future perspectives are discussed.

Rilpivirine plus cobicistat-boosted darunavir as a two-drug switch regimen in HIV-infected, virologically suppressed subjects on steady standard three-drug therapy: a randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial (PROBE 2)

BACKGROUND

We explored the combination of rilpivirine plus cobicistat-boosted darunavir [a two-drug regimen (2DR)] when switching from standard triple combined ART.

METHODS

In this randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial, participants had an HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL on a stable (>6 months) three-drug regimen. The primary endpoint was proportion with HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL at Week 24 (snapshot algorithm), with a -12% non-inferiority margin. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04064632.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty patients were allocated (1:1) to 2DR or to continue current ART (CAR). At Week 24, 72 (90.0%) of participants with 2DR and 75 (93.8%) with CAR maintained HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL [difference -3.75% (95% CI = -11.63 to 5.63)], confirming non-inferiority. Non-inferiority was confirmed considering an HIV-RNA >50 copies/mL (0% for 2DR; 3.7% for CAR; 95% CI = -0.4 to 7.9). Four patients reported adverse events not leading to treatment discontinuation (one patient in the 2DR group and three patients in the CAR group); eight subjects discontinued therapy in the 2DR group and three in the CAR group. With 2DR, lipid serum concentrations increased, but differences were statistically significant only for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-containing CAR and in 2DR patients receiving a pre-switch regimen including tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Median bone stiffness decreased in the CAR group from 86.1 g/cm2 (IQR = 74-98) to 83.2 g/cm2 (IQR = 74-97) and increased in the 2DR group from 84.9 g/cm2 (IQR = 74-103) to 85.5 g/cm2 (IQR = 74-101). The reduction within the CAR group was significant (P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONS

Once-daily rilpivirine plus cobicistat-boosted darunavir is an effective 2DR that combines a high virological efficacy with a potential to avoid major NRTI toxicities.

Effects of Adolescents' Lifestyle Habits and Body Composition on Bone Mineral Density

The incidence of osteoporosis is increasing as the population ages, as is the need to manage and prevent it. Adolescence is the period when the fastest development of bone mass takes place. Increasing adolescents’ maximum bone mass and avoiding the risk factors for its loss are effective for preventing osteoporosis. This study investigated the factors influencing adolescents’ bone mineral density (BMD). The participants were 126 middle- and high-school students from Gangwon-do; 47.6% (n = 60) were male, with an average age of 15 (range 12–18) years of age. It was found that age, carbonated beverages, snacks, and calcium supplements were variables that showed significant differences in adolescents’ BMD. Additionally, through correlation analysis, it was found that height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, and skeletal muscle mass were correlated with BMD. Multiple regression analysis identified age, calcium supplements, BMI, body fat mass, and skeletal muscle mass as BMD-associated factors. These results show that adolescents’ BMD is higher with lower body fat mass, higher BMI and skeletal muscle mass, and a higher intake of calcium supplements.

Development of Metabolic Syndrome Decreases Bone Mineral Density T-Score of Calcaneus in Foot in a Large Taiwanese Population Follow-Up Study

Studies have suggested that there may be common pathogenic pathways linking osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) due to the multiple risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease caused by MetS. However, results on the association between MetS and bone health are inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between the effects of MetS risk factors and bone mineral density (BMD) T-score in a longitudinal study of 27,033 participants from the Taiwan Biobank with a follow-up period of 4 years. BMD of the calcaneus was measured in the non-dominant foot using ultrasound in the Taiwanese population. The overall prevalence rates of MetS were 16.7% (baseline) and 21.2% (follow-up). The participants were stratified into four groups according to the status of MetS (no/yes at baseline and follow-up). We investigated associations between MetS and its five components (baseline, follow-up) with BMD ΔT-score and found that the (no, yes) MetS group, (no, yes) abdominal obesity group, (no, yes) hypertriglyceridemia group, and (no, yes) low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol group had the lowest ΔT-score. Furthermore, in the (no, yes) MetS group, high Δwaist circumference (p = 0.009), high Δtriglycerides (p = 0.004), low ΔHDL cholesterol (p = 0.034), and low Δsystolic blood pressure (p = 0.020) were significantly associated with low ΔT-score, but Δfasting glucose was not. In conclusion, in this large population-based cohort study, our data provide evidence that the development of MetS is strongly associated with increased rates of BMD loss in the Taiwanese population. This suggests that the prevention of MetS should be taken into consideration in the prevention of osteoporosis in the Taiwanese population.

Beyond Bone Mineral Density: A New Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry Index of Bone Strength to Predict Fragility Fractures, the Bone Strain Index

For a proper assessment of osteoporotic fragility fracture prediction, all aspects regarding bone mineral density, bone texture, geometry and information about strength are necessary, particularly in endocrinological and rheumatological diseases, where bone quality impairment is relevant. Data regarding bone quantity (density) and, partially, bone quality (structure and geometry) are obtained by the gold standard method of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Data about bone strength are not yet readily available. To evaluate bone resistance to strain, a new DXA-derived index based on the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of a greyscale of density distribution measured on spine and femoral scan, namely Bone Strain Index (BSI), has recently been developed. Bone Strain Index includes local information on density distribution, bone geometry and loadings and it differs from bone mineral density (BMD) and other variables of bone quality like trabecular bone score (TBS), which are all based on the quantification of bone mass and distribution averaged over the scanned region. This state of the art review illustrates the methodology of BSI calculation, the findings of its in reproducibility and the preliminary data about its capability to predict fragility fracture and to monitor the follow up of the pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis.

Air Pollutants Interaction and Gender Difference on Bone Mineral Density T-Score in Taiwanese Adults

Osteoporosis is defined as a systemic skeletal disease characterized by a reduction in bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue. Previous studies have reported associations between air pollution and lower bone mineral density; however, few studies have investigated the association between air pollution and osteoporosis. In this study, we combined two databases, the first including 5000 individuals registered in the Taiwan Biobank, and the second containing detailed daily data on air pollution. After multivariable adjustments, ozone (O3) (unstandardized coefficient β, 0.015; p = 0.008) was significantly positively associated with T-score, whereas carbon monoxide (CO) (unstandardized coefficient β, -0.809; p < 0.001), sulfur dioxide (SO2) (unstandardized coefficient β, -0.050; p = 0.005), nitric oxide (NO) (unstandardized coefficient β, -0.040; p < 0.001), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (unstandardized coefficient β, -0.023; p < 0.001), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) (unstandardized coefficient β, -0.017; p < 0.001) were significantly negatively associated with T-score. The interactions between CO and NOx (p = 0.001) and SO2 and NO2 (p = 0.004) on T-score were statistically significant. An increase in exposure to CO, NO and NOx was associated with a faster decline in T-score in the female participants compared to the male participants. In addition, an increase in O3 was associated with a faster increase in T-score in the female participants compared to the male participants. In conclusion, the air pollutants CO, SO2, NO, NO2, and NOx were associated with osteoporosis. In addition, there were interaction and synergetic effects between CO and NOx and SO2 and NO2 on T-score. We also observed differences in the associations between air pollutants and T-score between the female and male participants.

Electromechanical impedance measurements for bone health monitoring through teeth used as probes of a Piezo-device

Bone is a dynamic biological tissue that acts as the primary rigid support of the body. Several systemic factors are responsible for pathologies that negatively affect its structural attributes. Although the bone is in continuous renewal by osteogenesis, metabolic diseases are the most common affectations that alter its natural equilibrium. Different techniques based on ionizing radiation are used for the bone diagnosis restrictively. However, if these are not used adequately, the application could present risks for human health. In this paper, it is proposed and explored a new technique to apply an early-stage diagnosis of bone variations. The technique evaluates bone structural conditions from the teeth (used as probes) by applying a structural health monitoring (SHM) methodology. An experimental procedure is described to identify the stiffness variations produced by mechanical drillings done in prepared bone samples. The identification is carried out applying the electromechanical impedance technique (EMI) through a piezo-actuated device in the frequency spectrum 5-20kHz. Three bone samples with incorporated teeth (three teeth, two teeth, and one tooth) were prepared to emulate a mandibular portion of alveolar bone-PDL (periodontal ligament)-tooth system. Piezo-device was attached to the crown of the tooth with an orthodontic bracket allowing the teeth to act as probes. The electrical resistance measurements were computed with an electrical decoupling approach that improved the detection of the drillings; it was due to the increment of the sensitivity of the signals. The results showed that the bone mass reduction is correlated with statistical indices obtained in specific frequency intervals of the electrical resistance. This work suggests the possibility of a future application addressed to a bone diagnosis in a non-invasive way.

Quantitative Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Ultrasound (US) imaging plays a crucial role in the assessment of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Several quantitative tools are offered by US systems and add information to conventional US imaging. This article reviews the quantitative US imaging tools currently available in MSK radiology, specifically focusing on the evaluation of elasticity with shear-wave elastography, perfusion with contrast-enhanced US and noncontrast superb microvascular imaging, and bone and muscle mass with quantitative US methods. Some of them are well established and already of clinical value, such as elasticity and contrast-enhanced perfusion assessment in muscles and tendons. MSK radiologists should be aware of the potential of quantitative US tools and take advantage of their use in everyday practice, both for clinical and research purposes.