New osteoporosis screening method trialled
A new method of screening for osteoporosis, CT colonography, could be as effective as the current DEXA scan, according to scientists at the University of California.
The technology, which is used to screen colorectal cancer, involves a CT scan of the abdomen, creating cross-sectional images of the abdomen and spine.
Using these images, a software application can create a three-dimensional view of the spine, allowing for the measurement of bone mineral density.
In a trial of the new method at the San Francisco Veteran Administration Hospital, it was found that data gathered though CT colonography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), a standard bone density screening technology, was the same.
"The bone density measurements obtained from CT colonography were comparable to the DEXA results," said Dr Rizwan Aslam of the University of California at San Francisco. "Both tests identified osteoporotic bones."
Results of the trial are to be presented at the Radiological Society of North America.
A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said the results of the study showed promise but required further investigation.
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