Cambridge scientists develop new aid for osteoporosis

The method, developed by Dr Graham Treece of the Department of Engineering and Dr Ken Poole of the Department of Medicine, uses CT imaging to measure the thickness of the cortical bone, the hard outer layer of compact bone that surrounds the trabecular bone. Cortical bone thickness is an indicator of the risk of fracture.

According to Cambridge University, the work is expected to lead to advances in the treatment and management of osteoporosis, which affects one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 in the UK.

Osteoporosis results in a decline in bone strength and thinning of the cortical bone, so that often the remaining bone is exceptionally thin by the time an individual is in their 80s. At certain key points, this thinning can lead to bones so weak that a stumble, trip or fall can lead to a fracture.

Currently, the key technology used to assess a patient’s risk of fracture is a bone mineral density test, which uses dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to estimate mineral levels contained in bone.