Mrs Vimala shinde, a 50 year old menopausal woman was traveling in a rickshaw. Suddenly she a jerk in her back as the. vehicle crossed a speed breaker. Vimala complained of severe pain in the back. She was diagnosed as having a fracture of the back bone.
Mr. R. S. Mani, a retired person leading. A quiet life at home had a fall while going to the bathroom. Mr. Mani complained of severe pain in the hip joint. X-rays revealed fracture of the femur. Mr. Mani had to undergo a major operation due to a simple fall.
In both the above mentioned cases, a common problem was Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone in which the bone becorries fragile due to ageing process.The bone is likely to break even by a simple injury like sudden jolts, fall, etc. It has been reported that even violent sneezing and coughing can cause a fracture of the ribs in osteoporosis patients.
In a normal patient, mineral deposition of the bone takes place till the age of 30 years, Le. the bones are strong. After the age of 30, there is a decline in the deposition of minerals in the bones. As a result of the natural .ageing process the existing bone begins to breakdown.faster than the formation of the new bone. In females, after menopause, the ovaries stop producing oestrogen. Hence there is an acceleration of bone loss' in these women.
Patients having Osteoporosis usually have' backpain, loss of height due to vertebral compressiori, deformity of the spine like hunch back and fractures. Fractures of the bone requires hospitalisation and operation. As a result of the age factor, these patients are bedridden for a long time. Bed sores set in and in cases of hip fracture, 10% of the patients die within 1 year due to associated complications. All. these problems make the patient and his relatives spend thousands of rupees on hospitalisation and treatment. Is there any way toprevent this surgery and its associated problems? .' .
Says a radiologist "Yes, Osteoporosis can be detected early and preventive measures n be taken with the help of a simple test called bone densitometry." The ultrasound bon densitometry helps in:
l.detecting Osteoporosis.
2.predicting future chances of fracture.
3.determne the rte of bone .loss.
4.follow the effects of treatment.
The radiologist further adds" contrary to .popular belief, bone densitometry is a harmless, painless and a very short procedure. The time taken is 1.5 minutes and there are no
preparations required before the test. Hence the patients have no problems to fear."
In the actual procedure of bone densitometry, the patient places his foot not the radiation free machine. Both sides of the ankle is cleaned. The foot is gently strapping into the machine and the readings displayed are noted. Hey Presto! The whole procedure is over and the readings are tabulated on the report provided. The patient is then advised to consult his G.P /Orthopedic Surgeon/Gynecologist. According to radiologists, the first bone densitometry can be done around the age of 35 years. Thereafter it is advisable to get it done every year.
Camps are held by various organizations in order to provide facility for the detection of Osteoporosis. The visitors to these camps vary from a common man to even a doctor. Queried an intelligent patient to the radiologist "Doctor, you are asking us to place our foot on the densitometer. How does the available reading reflect the conditions of the bone in other parts of the body?" Replied the radiologist to the patient "when you have a liver or kidney problem, the blood is withdrawn from the hand and the diagnosis is made, similar principle is followed here." Indeed a very convincing explanation.
Many imaging centers hold densitometry camps every month. A nominal fee is charged at these camps. A few hundred rupees in getting a bone densitometry done is worth than spending thousands for surgeries. Pharmaceutical companies sponsoring these camps do not charge any fee from the patient.
Patients desirous of getting a bone densitometry can contact the radiological centers, Orthopedic surgeons, gynecologists or general practitioners of their areas for further details. |
