Heel test
Ultrasound might reveal who needs a full bone density scan for osteoporosis
By Nathan Seppa
An inexpensive ultrasound test may pinpoint people at risk of osteoporosis.
Sometimes called brittle bone disease, osteoporosis leaves people at a high risk of fractures particularly from falls. Doctors typically measure bone density using an X-ray machine. While ultrasound machines also provide readings of bone quality, the X-ray technology is considered the “gold standard” for such readings, says Idris Guessous, an internist at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta.
To assess whether ultrasound can provide useful bone density measurements, Guessous and a research team in Switzerland identified 6,174 women ages 70 to 85 at Swiss clinics who had no history of previous osteoporosis, dementia, cancer or kidney problems. Each woman underwent an ultrasound test of one heel that generated an assessment of the woman’s bone strength.