Closeup of hip bonePATRIX VIA FLICKR
The current standard for predicting osteoporosis risk uses dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure bone mineral density. But studies suggest that the technique doesn’t accurately predict the risk of fracture. Now, two new approaches provide a more precise way to determine whether bones are prone to breaking.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used a technique known as laser-capture microscopy to characterize the protein composition of a tiny sample of bone, which then could be used to determine the age of each bone section, according to a study to be published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. Because older bone is more fragile, the method was able to predict the sections of bone more likely to break. As well as helping diagnose osteoporosis, the technology could allow forensic scientists and archaeologists to analyze small bone samples without damaging them.
Another technique, being developed by...
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