NEW TEST FOR BRITTLE BONE DISEASE (Orthopedics This Week)
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is, also known as “Brittle Bone” disease. Doctors identify it through genetic testing and the use of invasive diagnostic techniques and X-rays. That is about to change.
Thanks to research carried out by researchers from University College London (UCL), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital a technique known as Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) can now be used to test for the condition. And it can test for osteoporosis and other bone diseases as well.
According to Mario O’Sullivan, writing for Medical Press, SORS works by shining a laser through the skin to analyze the underlying chemistry of the bone which can reveal differences between healthy and diseased bone. “Bone is a complex material that has both mineral and protein components,” said Kevin Buckley, M.D. from STFC’s Central Laser Facility, a member of the team working on this project. “Traditional X-ray methods that are used to study bone can only see the mineral but this technique can see both components,” he said.
To prove their concept the research team tested a bone sa...
