Abstract
BackgroundPhysical loading leads to a deformation of bone microstructure and may influence quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters. This study aims at evaluating the effect of physical loading on bone QUS measurement, and further, on the potential of diagnosing osteoporosis using QUS method under physical loading condition.Methods16 healthy young females (control group) and 45 postmenopausal women (divided into 3 groups according to the years since menopause (YSM)) were studied. QUS parameters were measured at calcaneus under self-weight loading (standing) and no loading (sitting) conditions. Weight-normalized QUS parameter (QUS parameter measured under loading condition divided by the weight of the subject) was proposed to evaluate the influence of loading. T-test, One-Way analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were applied for analysis.ResultsIn QUS parameters, mainly normalized broadband ultrasound attenuation (nBUA), measured with loading significantly differed from those measured without loading (p < 0.05). The relative changes of weight-normalized QUS parameters on postmenopausal women with respect to premenopausal women under loading condition were larger than those on traditional QUS parameters measured without loading. In ROC analysis, weight-normalized QUS parameters showed their stronger discriminatory ability for menopause.ConclusionsPhysical loading substantially influenced bone QUS measurement (mainly nBUA). Weight-normalized QUS parameters can discriminate menopause more effectively. By considering the high relationship between menopause and osteoporosis, an inference was drawn that adding physical loading during measurement may be a probable way to improve the QUS based osteoporosis diagnosis.
Highlights
Physical loading leads to a deformation of bone microstructure and may influence quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters
An experiment was conducted in this preliminary study in order to verify: 1) whether bone QUS parameters measured under loading condition differ from those measured without loading; 2) if the answer to 1) is “yes”, is it possible that exerting loading during ultrasound measurement can provide more useful information to osteoporosis diagnosis, or on the other word, to potentially improve the osteoporosis diagnosis based on QUS?
Our results showed that some QUS parameters, mainly normalized broadband ultrasound attenuation (nBUA), substantially changed if loading was exerted on bone during measurement
Summary
Physical loading leads to a deformation of bone microstructure and may influence quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters. It is possible that the physical loading exerted on bone will not change BMD (due to the mineral content of the bone is not changed) but the QUS parameters (due to the microstructure of the bone deformed and mechanical properties of the bone changed under loading condition). These changes of QUS parameters should be more on bones with osteoporosis, since bones with osteoporosis are easier to distort than normal bones under the same loading condition. An experiment was conducted in this preliminary study in order to verify: 1) whether bone QUS parameters measured under loading condition differ from those measured without loading; 2) if the answer to 1) is “yes”, is it possible that exerting loading during ultrasound measurement can provide more useful information to osteoporosis diagnosis, or on the other word, to potentially improve the osteoporosis diagnosis based on QUS?
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