Understanding the relationships between DXA and HRpQCT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the relationships between dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT)
IRAS ID
131661
Contact name
Mark Edwards
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton
Research summary
Osteoporosis is an important public health problem because it causes broken bones, particularly in the spine, wrist and hip. This has a huge personal and economic cost. In addition to the pain of a broken bone, there is evidence that individuals who suffer such a fracture may not be able to return to their homes and may even be at greater risk of death. One of the ways we identify individuals at risk of fracture is by measuring their bone density using a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner. This also tells us whether or not they have osteoporosis. The technique is however limited and only gives us an estimate of bone density. High resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT) is a groundbreaking new scanner that can perform a ‘virtual bone biopsy’. This allows us to look at bone structure in greater detail in a non-invasive way to acquire the sort of information previously only obtainable by taking a bone biopsy. This includes the bone’s geometry and microscopic structure in 3D. When individuals attend University Hospital Southampton to have a DXA scan as part of their normal clinical care, we will recruit them to additionally have a HRpQCT scan and to answer a few questions about factors that increase the risk of fracture. We will then compare the results obtained from the DXA scan with those from the HRpQCT. In particular we will look at bone density measured by both techniques. This will give us a better understanding of what the results of HRpQCT represent for individuals in a clinical setting. It will also allow us to understand how HRpQCT values at peripheral sites (radius and tibia) relate to more central measures (hip and spine).
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EE/0215
Date of REC Opinion
5 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion