DENSITOMETER FOR SCANNING OS CALCIS FOR PREDICTING OSTEOPOROSIS

摘要

The level of relative risk of osteoporosis in human subjects can be quickly determined by: measuring the bone mineral content of the os calcis (heel), which is highly trabecular, and assessing the relative non-violent fracture risk, due to osteoporosis of the subject, at substantially all skeletal sites (both spinal and non-spinal from the os calcis mineral content determination. The bone mineral content of a cortical bone site, such as the proximal radius (forearm), can also be determined. The densitometer apparatus (10, 11) includes a heel holding structure (35), or a forearm holding structure (72), which may be placed between a low energy source of gamma and/or x-rays (28), and a detector (27). The source (28) and detector (27) are mounted on a C-shaped yoke (36), which yoke (36) can be moved horizontally and vertically during a rectilinear scan, and which can be rotated about a vertical axis when computed tomography (CT) capabilities are necessary.