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Use of quantitative ultrasound scans of the calcaneus to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Use of quantitative ultrasound scans of the calcaneus to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Use of quantitative ultrasound scans of the calcaneus to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are recognized as being at risk for osteoporosis as a result of the disease process as well as the medication used to treat it. This study was conducted to consider the use of calcaneal scanning with quantitative ultrasound—contact ultrasound bone analysis (CUBA)—to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Forty-six patients (11 men and 35 women) with established rheumatoid arthritis underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the nondominant wrist and
CUBA of the nondominant heel. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were used to determine the correlation between osteoporosis as diagnosed
by the CUBA heel scan compared with the DEXA wrist scan given that DEXA is widely seen as the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Results: The CUBA heel scan revealed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 44% for a diagnosis of osteoporosis compared with DEXA. The positive predictive value of the
CUBA scan was 31%, and the negative predictive value was 94%. Therefore, if normal bone density is found using CUBA, there is 94% certainty this is correct. However, if osteoporosis is diagnosed using CUBA, there is only 31% certainty this is correct. In such instances a secondary scan using a different method (eg, DEXA) would be required. Future work should consider the effect of minor alterations to the equipment or scanning protocol, because this may improve diagnosis.

Conclusions: The CUBA unit could be used as a primary screening device. Given the cost and accessibility issues associated with DEXA, quantitative ultrasound may have a
role in screening for osteoporosis in the primary-care setting to determine the most appropriate routes of referral for patients requiring further investigations.
8750-7315
108-114
Cryer, Jacqueline R.
86c40dbe-a421-4c09-94fb-38bb5f81b708
Otter, Simon J.
349260ea-b8f2-4906-8b9f-6e37ed627ffc
Bowen, Catherine J.
fd85c3c5-96d9-49b8-86c6-caa94e1a222b
Cryer, Jacqueline R.
86c40dbe-a421-4c09-94fb-38bb5f81b708
Otter, Simon J.
349260ea-b8f2-4906-8b9f-6e37ed627ffc
Bowen, Catherine J.
fd85c3c5-96d9-49b8-86c6-caa94e1a222b

Cryer, Jacqueline R., Otter, Simon J. and Bowen, Catherine J. (2007) Use of quantitative ultrasound scans of the calcaneus to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of American Podiatric Medical Association, 97 (2), 108-114.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are recognized as being at risk for osteoporosis as a result of the disease process as well as the medication used to treat it. This study was conducted to consider the use of calcaneal scanning with quantitative ultrasound—contact ultrasound bone analysis (CUBA)—to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Forty-six patients (11 men and 35 women) with established rheumatoid arthritis underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the nondominant wrist and
CUBA of the nondominant heel. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were used to determine the correlation between osteoporosis as diagnosed
by the CUBA heel scan compared with the DEXA wrist scan given that DEXA is widely seen as the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Results: The CUBA heel scan revealed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 44% for a diagnosis of osteoporosis compared with DEXA. The positive predictive value of the
CUBA scan was 31%, and the negative predictive value was 94%. Therefore, if normal bone density is found using CUBA, there is 94% certainty this is correct. However, if osteoporosis is diagnosed using CUBA, there is only 31% certainty this is correct. In such instances a secondary scan using a different method (eg, DEXA) would be required. Future work should consider the effect of minor alterations to the equipment or scanning protocol, because this may improve diagnosis.

Conclusions: The CUBA unit could be used as a primary screening device. Given the cost and accessibility issues associated with DEXA, quantitative ultrasound may have a
role in screening for osteoporosis in the primary-care setting to determine the most appropriate routes of referral for patients requiring further investigations.

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Published date: March 2007

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 161291
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/161291
ISSN: 8750-7315
PURE UUID: 057a07bc-e5cd-4e0c-acd4-9b126815dc3e
ORCID for Catherine J. Bowen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7252-9515

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Date deposited: 28 Jul 2010 08:49
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:46

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Contributors

Author: Jacqueline R. Cryer
Author: Simon J. Otter

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