
A tiny probe can test the strength of a patient’s bones and could reveal early signs of osteoporosis.
A handheld device for diagnosing the early signs of osteoporosis could be available for clinical use within five years.
The technology is currently being refined and tested at the University of Southampton with support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The original concept was invented at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Unlike existing methods of assessing bone fragility, which measure bone density using X-rays, the device is designed to measure the ability of bone tissue to prevent small cracks growing into full-blown fractures.
It does this by pressing a microscopic needle a tiny distance into the top layer of bone. Measured electronically, the amount of penetration indicates how fragile the bone tissue is and therefore the risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture later in life.
Osteoporosis is often referred to as fragile bone disease. However, for many sufferers, the first indication that they have the condition is when they actually sustain a fracture.
Drugs can slow or arrest the development of the disease, but the condition may already be quite advanced by the time the first break has happened. Doctors can estimate an individual’s risk of fracturing by using bone-density measurements and other factors such as age, gender, smoking and any history of fracturing. But the new microindentation technology affordably delivers a fundamentally different measurement that has huge potential to refine such an evaluation.
A normal reading might see the needle sink into the bone by around 20 micrometres (0.02 mm); a reading of 40 micrometres might indicate a significant risk of fracture.
“As the population ages and life expectancy rises in the decades ahead, the cost of treating osteoporotic fractures will increase,” says Professor Philipp Thurner of the University of Southampton, who is leading the project. “One in three women aged over 50 is forecast to experience an osteoporotic fracture in her lifetime and, globally, treatment costs are forecast to reach over US$130 billion by 2050. The potential improvement in assessing osteoporosis and future fracture risk offered by this new technology could reduce the burden of broken bones for individuals, healthcare systems and the economy.
The Latest Bing News on:
Osteoporosis
- Women Experiencing Menopause Don’t Know Enough About the Threat of Osteoporosis, Study Findson September 28, 2023 at 1:50 pm
A recent survey of 240 post-menopausal women — a time of especially high risk — published in the July 2023 issue of Menopause, underscores the widespread misinformation and the need for physicians and ...
- Evolution of new technologies to better diagnose bone fragilityon September 27, 2023 at 6:32 pm
Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for assessing bone mass and evaluating fracture risk.
- What Is It Like to Get a Bone Mineral Density Scan?on September 27, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Getting tested, when appropriate, can help determine whether you have osteoporosis and are at risk of a serious bone break.
- Coming Soon: NASA-Based Vibration Treatment For Osteoporosison September 27, 2023 at 6:09 am
Spinal Fracture due to osteoporosis. OsteoBoost is a vibration belt designed to combat osteoporosis ... [+] and osteopenia. Did you know that of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, ...
- How Long to Take Alendronate for Osteoporosis?on September 26, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Alendronate has been shown to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and decrease fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, but the need for long-term treatment is unclear, especially ...
- The #1 Simple Workout Plan for Women Over 50 With Osteoporosison September 21, 2023 at 3:30 pm
Ready to go? Dr. Brittany Leboeuf, Ph.D., a doctor of exercise science and a certified nutrition coach at Orangetheory Fitness, says women over 50 with osteoporosis should focus on getting 150 minutes ...
- Osteoporosis Can Make Your Bones More Prone To Fractures: Here's How You Can Prevent Iton September 19, 2023 at 11:19 pm
When the formation of new bone does not keep up with the loss of old bone, osteoporosis develops. Read on to know about prevention tips.
- COVID-19 pandemic fails to deter osteoporosis treatment initiation: New study reveals steady rateson September 18, 2023 at 1:17 am
Whether patients with newly diagnosed osteoporosis received delayed pharmacologic treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- What are some possible early warning signs of osteoporosis?on September 17, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Many people do not have noticeable symptoms of osteoporosis until they experience an injury or fracture. However, early signs of the condition can include receding gums, weakened grip strength ...
- Osteoporosis: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatmentson September 15, 2023 at 11:57 am
Millions of postmenopausal women find themselves facing a diagnosis of osteoporosis, but what does that mean for their daily lives? About 30% of white postmenopausal women in the United States have ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Osteoporosis
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Osteoporosis” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Diagnosing the early signs of osteoporosis
- High Osteoporosis-Related Fracture Risk found in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patientson September 24, 2023 at 7:30 am
In a recent study published in BMC Rheumatology uncovered a heightened risk of osteoporosis-related fractures among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), shedding light on the significance ...
- Early warning on osteoporosison September 23, 2023 at 3:32 am
The patient will then invited to a specialist clinic where they will be tested for osteoporosis and given advice and information. If the condition is caught early enough, it can stopped from ...
- What causes a hump on the back of the neck?on September 20, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Some of these causes may include kyphosis, osteoporosis, muscle knots ... Symptoms of kyphosis can appear in childhood, and early diagnosis and treatment can help correct the curve in the spine ...
- Osteoporosis Can Make Your Bones More Prone To Fractures: Here's How You Can Prevent Iton September 19, 2023 at 11:19 pm
When the formation of new bone does not keep up with the loss of old bone, osteoporosis develops. Read on to know about prevention tips.
- What are some possible early warning signs of osteoporosis?on September 17, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Many people do not have noticeable symptoms of osteoporosis until they experience an injury or fracture. However, early signs of the condition can include receding gums, weakened grip strength ...
- Blood Cancer Awareness Month: Expert Explains Early Signs and Diagnosison September 15, 2023 at 2:32 am
This is why it is important to be aware of the signs for an early diagnosis and treatment. On this Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke to Dr Satish Kumar A, Consultant - Hematologist and Hemato ...
- 6 early signs of autism in toddlers to be on the lookout foron September 13, 2023 at 7:00 am
but early intervention following a diagnosis is vital. The early signs of autism in toddlers though can be easy to overlook. If you have a child that you think might be on the spectrum ...
- The Early Diagnosis of Phlebothrombosison January 23, 2023 at 2:40 am
It has been stated that the diagnosis must be made extremely early if the patient is to receive ... in which physical signs are minimal — the very cases in which venograms would be most ...
- The Importance of Early Diagnosis in MSon December 7, 2022 at 11:20 am
In this webinar, you’ll learn to recognize early signs of MS and the ins and outs of diagnostic testing. You will also learn the benefits of starting treatment upon diagnosis. At the end of her ...
- Diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimer Diseaseon August 15, 2020 at 7:25 am
We thought those signs would be enough for him to be diagnosed correctly given that his mother and uncle also had had early onset AD. But still it took nearly two years of neurological assessments ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Diagnosing the early signs of osteoporosis
[google_news title=”” keyword=”diagnosing the early signs of osteoporosis” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]