Abstract

To determine whether bone mineral density measurement using the Calscan successfully predicts the Actual bone mineral density, as measured by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry. We included all patients ≥ 65 years with a hip fracture screened on osteoporosis by both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the Calscan during the period April 2008 to April 2011. The bone mineral density was expressed as a T-score. For the Calscan T-score, thresholds were defined such that patients with and without osteoporosis could be identified with 90% certainty. Patients with a Calscan T-score above the upper threshold were considered to be non-osteoporotic and those with a Calscan T-score below the lower threshold considered osteoporotic. Patients whose Calscan T-score lay between the two thresholds could only be classified by means of DXA. The correlation between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the Calscan was 0.61. The Calscan identified approximately 25% of patients as osteoporotic and 25% as non-osteoporotic. The upper threshold was found to be -1.8SD and the lower threshold -3.5SD. Osteoporosis screening by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry had been carried out in 44% of patients. This percentage could theoretically rise to > 70% if the Calscan is implemented in osteoporosis screening, while costs of such screening appear to be lower, as long as a sufficient number of patients are screened.