Ultrasound attenuation of the calcaneus in the female population: normative data.

Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) on the os calcis has been proposed as a safe and reliable technique for evaluating skeleted status. The present study provides preliminary normative BUA results on 93 female subjects divided into five age groups. These data can be used as a guide for comparing the results of individual studies. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was determined from lateral calcaneus and spine radiographs. Postmenopausal osteoporotic female subjects had significantly lower BUA values than normal women (P less than 0.001). There was a significant negative linear relationship between BUA and age in the postmenopausal subjects. No correlation was found between body size parameters (weight, height, and body mass index) and ultrasound attenuation. These results indicate that BUA may be a useful technique for detection of persons at risk.