[Osteoporosis in ankylosing spondylitis: comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasonography (QUS)].

The aim of this study was to determine bone mineral density (BMD) of the forearm and of the femoral neck using DXA technique and evaluation of broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) of the heel using QUS technique in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The group of 59 AS patients were involved in the study: 53 male and 6 female with average age (40.0 +/- 8.2 yrs), range 29 to 49. Average disease duration was 160.6 +/- 98.0 months, range 18 to 420 months. AS patients were compared to 60 healthy controls: 50 male and 10 non post-menopausal female (average age 38.2 +/- 7.4 yrs). FA-BMD (distal radius) was evaluated using DTX-200 (Osteometer Medi-Tech A/S Denmark) and FN-BMD using ECLIPSE (Norland Medical Systems, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI). QUS parameters of the left heel (BUA and SOS) were measured by DTU-ONE (Osteometer Medi-Tech A/S Denmark). AS patients are related only to low bone mass of femoral neck (0.786 g/cm2 vs 0.901 g/cm2, p < 0.001). This group relative young patients with chronic inflammatory process is in the increased risk group of hip fracture. QUS measurements of the heel and DXA of forearm do not appear to be a good predictor for screening of AS pts with osteoporosis.