BMD on patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A novel quantitative method for estimating bone mineral density using B‑mode ultrasound and radiofrequency signals‑a pilot study on patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Violeta‑Claudia Bojincă¹, Claudiu C. Popescu², Raluca‑Daniela Decianu¹, Andrei Dobrescu¹, Șerban Mihai Bălănescu³, Andra‑Rodica Bălănescu¹ And Mihai Bojincă⁴

Published: Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2019 Sept.; 18(3): 1661–1668.

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With this study, the authors aimed to evaluate whether Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry (REMS) is reliable as compared to previous results obtained using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in a typical Romanian patient population. In particular, one hundred and six post-menopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 119 age-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled in order to compare the two groups in terms of bone parameters and to observe the influence of body composition on bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis outcomes.

Several patients were obese, confirming the possibility to apply REMS technology in this setting of patients. As expected, regarding bone measurements, RA patients had a significantly lower spine and hip BMD, as measured by an EchoS machine implementing REMS, with respect to the control subjects. Moreover, BMD increased proportionally and significantly with weight, from underweight to obese subgroups, both in the control group and in RA patients. Using REMS, the authors assessed that the osteoporosis is prevalent among RA patients, increasing their fragility fracture risk. Moreover, they confirmed that REMS is able to replicate the results of the established DXA measurements of BMD and is potentially suitable for the screening of wide populations for osteoporosis.

1 Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department, Sfânta Maria Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 011172, Romania

2 Ion Stoia Clinical Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 031167, Romania

3 Cardiology Department, Elias University Emergency Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 011461, Romania

4 Rheumatology Department, Dr I. Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 030167, Romania