Bone Densitometry, X-Ray and Quantitative Ultrasound

Abstract

In the past decade osteoporotic fractures have been recognized as one of the most significant problems in public health. In white women aged 85 years, 95% of fractures of the hip and spine, 80% of forearm fractures and 60% of fractures at other sites are caused by osteoporosis. In the age group 65–84 years the percentages are 90%, 70% and 50% respectively. Increased awareness of the scale of morbidity and mortality attributable to osteoporosis has led to major efforts to develop new treatments aimed at preventing fractures. Alongside these developments there has been rapid evolution of new radiological techniques for the non-invasive assessment of skeletal status.