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Allen et al. BioDent and OsteoProbe: can they detect bone properties in vivo?

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DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2016.57

Reference point indentation (RPI) has been used for 10 years now as an in vivo tool for assessing the mechanical properties of bone and for determining fracture risk in the clinic. In this study, Allen et al. review both current devices that make use of RPI technology; the BioDent and the new generation OsteoProbe.

Clinical reports on the use of the BioDent device show that it can differentiate patients with a fracture from those without. More interesting is the capacity of the device to detect mechanical property variations that reflect treatment-related changes. Furthermore the BioDent measurements appear to correlate with post-yield properties measured in ex vivo tests.

The OsteoProbe device, which has become more popular than BioDent in the clinic, is capable of differentiating individual cohorts. However, there is still a paucity of clinical data on its theoretical value in determining the mechanical properties of bone in vivo.

Editor’s comment: This balanced and timely review about RPI reminds us the essential role of basic and preclinical research in understanding and evaluating new methodologies used for the assessment of bone fracture risk. I am looking forward to learning more about how well the tibial measurements described reflect skeletal integrity.

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