Tibial or hip BMD predict clinical fracture risk equally well: results from a prospective study in 700 elderly Swiss women

In a randomly selected cohort of Swiss community-dwelling elderly women prospectively followed up for 2.8 +/- 0.6 years, clinical fractures were assessed twice yearly. Bone mineral density (BMD) measured at tibial diaphysis (T-DIA) and tibial epiphysis (T-EPI) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was shown to be a valid alternative to lumbar spine or hip BMD in predicting fractures.

Aphrodite. Herrin des Krieges - Göttin der Liebe

Aphrodite zählt zu den bekanntesten und interessantesten mythischen Frauengestalten der Antike. Als Göttin der Liebe und der Schönheit nahm sie eine Schlüsselrolle im Trojanischen Krieg ein; als Göttin in Waffen besaß sie aber auch selbst kriegerische Charakterzüge. Das Buch geht der Frage nach, wie der Aphrodite-Kult entstand und sich verbreitete. Dabei entdecken die Autoren z. B. Einflüsse von weiblichen Kriegsgottheiten aus dem alten Orient. Auf der Insel Zypern lässt sich die Verehrung der Aphrodite bis in römische Zeit nachvollziehen. Und so ist diese Göttin nicht nur eine immer noch populäre Gestalt der Mythologie, sondern zugleich ein Beispiel für den kulturellen Austausch zwischen Ost und West.

Comparison of three bone ultrasounds for the discrimination of subjects with and without osteoporotic fractures among 7562 elderly women

Bone ultrasound measures (QUSs) can assess fracture risk in the elderly. We compared three QUSs and their association with nonvertebral fracture history in 7562 Swiss women 70-80 years of age. The association between nonvertebral fracture was higher for heel than phalangeal QUS.

Quality controls for two heel bone ultrasounds used in the Swiss Evaluation of the Methods of Measurement of Osteoporotic Fracture Risk Study

Because of the important morbidity and mortality associated with osteoporosis, it is essential to detect subjects at risk by screening methods, such as bone quantitative ultrasounds (QUSs). Several studies showed that QUS could predict fractures. None, however, compared prospectively different QUS devices, and few data of quality controls (QCs) have been published. The Swiss Evaluation of the Methods of Measurement of Osteoporotic Fracture Risk is a prospective multicenter study that compared three QUSs for the assessment of hip fracture risk in a population of 7609 women age >/=70 yr. Because the inclusion phase lasted 20 mo, and because 10 centers participated in this study, QC became a major issue. We therefore developed a QC procedure to assess the stability and precision of the devices, and for their cross-calibration. Our study focuses on the two heel QUSs. The water bath system (Achilles+) had a higher precision than the dry system (Sahara). The QC results were highly dependent on temperature. QUS stability was acceptable, but Sahara must be calibrated regularly. A sufficient homogeneity among all the Sahara devices could be demonstrated, whereas significant differences were found among the Achilles+ devices. For speed of sound, 52% of the differences among the Achilles+ was explained by the water s temperature. However, for broadband ultrasound attenuation, a maximal difference of 23% persisted after adjustment for temperature. Because such differences could influence measurements in vivo, it is crucial to develop standardized phantoms to be used in prospective multicenter studies.