Heel test
Ultrasound might reveal who needs a full bone density scan for osteoporosis
An inexpensive ultrasound test may pinpoint people at risk of osteoporosis.
Sometimes called brittle bone disease, osteoporosis leaves people at a high risk of fractures particularly from falls. Doctors typically measure bone density using an X-ray machine. While ultrasound machines also provide readings of bone quality, the X-ray technology is considered the “gold standard” for such readings, says Idris Guessous, an internist at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta.