Abstract

Osteoporosis is the most common disorder ofbone metabolism, with a high rate of diffusion, especially inthe elderly population. The main consequence ofosteoporosis is bone fragility, with the consequentlyincreased risk of fracture. Vertebral and hip fracturesrepresent one of the most important causes of morbidity anddisability and cause also high economic costs for theNational Healthcare Systems. The currently accepted "goldstandard" method for osteoporosis diagnosis is representedby the evaluation of bone mineral density (BMD) throughdual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). However, DXA presentssome considerable limitations such as the exposition toionizing radiations, employment of bulky devices and highcosts of management. This paper gives an overview of themost widely used X-ray based techniques to performosteoporosis diagnosis and describes the working principlesof non-invasive ultrasound (US) based methods for bonedensitometry, underlining the corresponding advantages andlimitations for their use in the clinical practice. Moreover,the article illustrates the effectiveness of an innovative UStechnique, directly applicable on the main anatomicalreference sites, in terms of diagnostic accuracy and fracturerisk prediction. Early diagnosis is the key to resize theimpact of osteoporosis on healthcare systems. Therefore, itwould be necessary to encourage the widespread use ofquick, cheap and non-invasive screening techniques.

Autore Pugliese

• Conversano Francesco , Casciaro Sergio

Tutti gli autori

• S. Casciaro; M.D. Renna; P. Pisani; A. Greco; F. Conversano; M. Muratore

Titolo volume/Rivista

Non Disponibile

Anno di pubblicazione

2014

ISSN

Non Disponibile

ISBN

978-92-990073-5-8

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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