Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Glenoid neck Hounsfield units on computed tomography can accurately identify patients with low bone mineral density

Nappo, Kyle E ; Christensen, Daniel L ; Wolfe, Jared A and Tintle, Scott M LU orcid (2018) In Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 27(7). p.1268-1274
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a costly and morbid disease with the first presentation often with a fragility fracture. The purpose of this study was to assess whether Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements on shoulder computed tomography could identify patients at risk of osteoporosis and aid in its diagnosis.

METHODS: We identified patients who had both a computed tomography scan of the glenoid and a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results and HU measurements of the patients' glenoid were recorded. Differences in HU measurements between patients with normal and abnormal central bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed. Correlations were calculated, and receiver operating characteristics were... (More)

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a costly and morbid disease with the first presentation often with a fragility fracture. The purpose of this study was to assess whether Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements on shoulder computed tomography could identify patients at risk of osteoporosis and aid in its diagnosis.

METHODS: We identified patients who had both a computed tomography scan of the glenoid and a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results and HU measurements of the patients' glenoid were recorded. Differences in HU measurements between patients with normal and abnormal central bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed. Correlations were calculated, and receiver operating characteristics were examined.

RESULTS: A total of 51 glenoids met the criteria. The mean glenoid HU measurement was 140.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 120.1-161.1) in the osteoporotic group, 168.1 (95% CI, 152.7-183.5) in the osteopenic group, and 233.2 (95% CI, 210.1-256.4) in the normal BMD group (P < .001). There was a significant correlation between mean glenoid HU measurement and patients' t scores in the femoral neck (r = 0.581), total hip (r = 0.524), and lumbar spine (r = 0.345). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.918. With 197 HUs used as the cutoff for diagnosis of abnormal BMD, the positive predictive value was 96.6%. With 257.1 HUs used as the cutoff, the negative predictive value was 100%.

CONCLUSION: A patient with an HU measurement below 197 has a 97% chance of having low BMD, and a patient with a measurement over 257 likely has normal BMD. In patients with measurements between these values, a definitive diagnosis should be aggressively pursued. Opportunistic screening for a modifiable disease that has significant morbidity and mortality rates at no additional cost, radiation, or time is of great value.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Absorptiometry, Photon, Acetabulum/diagnostic imaging, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Bone Density, Bone Diseases, Metabolic/diagnostic imaging, Female, Femur Head/diagnostic imaging, Femur Neck/diagnostic imaging, Humans, Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Osteoporosis/diagnostic imaging, Predictive Value of Tests, ROC Curve, Scapula/diagnostic imaging, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
in
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
volume
27
issue
7
pages
1268 - 1274
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85041286253
  • pmid:29397295
ISSN
1058-2746
DOI
10.1016/j.jse.2017.11.008
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Published by Elsevier Inc.
id
aadf714c-f255-4754-833f-8b01afabb658
date added to LUP
2024-11-14 09:54:32
date last changed
2025-03-07 17:34:13
@article{aadf714c-f255-4754-833f-8b01afabb658,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a costly and morbid disease with the first presentation often with a fragility fracture. The purpose of this study was to assess whether Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements on shoulder computed tomography could identify patients at risk of osteoporosis and aid in its diagnosis.</p><p>METHODS: We identified patients who had both a computed tomography scan of the glenoid and a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry results and HU measurements of the patients' glenoid were recorded. Differences in HU measurements between patients with normal and abnormal central bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed. Correlations were calculated, and receiver operating characteristics were examined.</p><p>RESULTS: A total of 51 glenoids met the criteria. The mean glenoid HU measurement was 140.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 120.1-161.1) in the osteoporotic group, 168.1 (95% CI, 152.7-183.5) in the osteopenic group, and 233.2 (95% CI, 210.1-256.4) in the normal BMD group (P &lt; .001). There was a significant correlation between mean glenoid HU measurement and patients' t scores in the femoral neck (r = 0.581), total hip (r = 0.524), and lumbar spine (r = 0.345). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.918. With 197 HUs used as the cutoff for diagnosis of abnormal BMD, the positive predictive value was 96.6%. With 257.1 HUs used as the cutoff, the negative predictive value was 100%.</p><p>CONCLUSION: A patient with an HU measurement below 197 has a 97% chance of having low BMD, and a patient with a measurement over 257 likely has normal BMD. In patients with measurements between these values, a definitive diagnosis should be aggressively pursued. Opportunistic screening for a modifiable disease that has significant morbidity and mortality rates at no additional cost, radiation, or time is of great value.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nappo, Kyle E and Christensen, Daniel L and Wolfe, Jared A and Tintle, Scott M}},
  issn         = {{1058-2746}},
  keywords     = {{Absorptiometry, Photon; Acetabulum/diagnostic imaging; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/diagnostic imaging; Female; Femur Head/diagnostic imaging; Femur Neck/diagnostic imaging; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis/diagnostic imaging; Predictive Value of Tests; ROC Curve; Scapula/diagnostic imaging; Tomography, X-Ray Computed}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{1268--1274}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery}},
  title        = {{Glenoid neck Hounsfield units on computed tomography can accurately identify patients with low bone mineral density}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2017.11.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jse.2017.11.008}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}