Screening for osteoporosis: Comparison between dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and broadband ultrasound attenuation in 1000 perimenopausal women

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Abstract
This paper compares dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the spine and hip and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the os calcis in 1000 perimenopausal women aged between 45 and 49 years who attended a randomized Osteoporosis Screening Programme. Significant correlations were found between all DXA results and BUA, with the trochanter giving the best numerical correlation with BUA (r=0.354,p<0.0001). BUA was not successful in predicting women with low DXA measurements, with only 44.0% of the women whose spinal DXA falls within the lowest quartile being in the lowest quartile of BUA. Although BUA is a poor predictor of spinal and hip bone mineral density it may provide additional structural information important in fracture prediction.