James Ganier

October 2,2013

Osteoporosis Warning Test

 Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which there is a decrease in bone mass and density. This decrease creates a breakdown of the bone tissue and makes fractures more likely. Osteoporosis affects 10 million people a year in the United States. Osteoporosis results in more than one and a half million fractures a year. However, researchers at the University of Southampton are testing a portable device to diagnose signs of osteoporosis.

  Researchers are currently testing a new device that has been developed to measure bone tissue to diagnose signs of signs of osteoporosis, which can lead to full-blown fractures. . For this new medical device, researchers push a microscopic needle into the superficial layer of bone. This amount of penetration exhibits how brittle the bone tissue is and the risk of a possible osteoporotic fracture later on in life.

  Previous methods to access bone fragility included using x-rays to measure bone density. This new technology introduces a new and unique measurement that will have a significant impact on diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. This new device has big potential for improving the assessment of osteoporosis and future fracture risk. This new devicecould reduce the overwhelming broken bone cases for the United States healthcare system and economy. New diagnostic techniques, like this portable device, are crucial to the development of understanding osteoporosis and bone health.

Works Cited:

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). “ Portable, low-cost early warning test for osteoporosis.” Science Daily, 17. Sep. 2013. Web 6 Oct 2013

Tortora, Gerald J and Bryan Derrickson. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. Hobokon: John Wiley & Sons. Inc 2012. Print