Quantitative bone ultrasonometry in climacteric women

Quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) measurement is an emerging technique in the assessment of osteoporosis risk. In this study, bone mineral density (B MD) (mg/cm(2)) of lumbar vertebrae, neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter we re measured by DXA and the phalanx amplitude dependent speed of sound (AD-S OS) was measured by QUS in climacteric (n = 1025) women. The relationship b etween AD-SOS and BMD values at different skeletal sites was significant, e ven if the analysis showed poor correlation coefficients. These data seem t o indicate that QUS can detect bone characteristics in addition to density. The AD-SOS was higher in premenopausal than in perimenopausal women. The A D-SOS further decreases in postmenopausal women without hormone replacement . The age at menopause is relevant for predicting the AD-SOS in the postmen opausal years. Conversely, the maintenance of a regular menstrual function is associated with higher AD-SOS. Thus, the early impairment and cessation of ovarian function can lead to an earlier and/or sharper decline in bone h omeostasis that can be detected by QUS. in conclusion, AD-SOS is a valuable index in detecting menopausal bone loss, and could be used for the patient follow-up during menopausal transition and in therapeutic trials.