Sound velocity in the middle phalanges of the human hand.

Determination of the velocity of ultrasound seems a promising way of monitoring diffuse bone mineral disease. Measurements have been made on 13 healthy adults, 3 healthy children, and 17 patients submitted to haemodialysis. The mean ultrasound velocity in the middle phalanges of the hand was found to be 2403 m/s in the normal adults, 2109 m/s in the children, and 2360 m/s in the haemodialysis group. One person had known halisteresis and had a velocity significantly lower than in the normal group. The method is fast and harmless and might be used in screening procedures or at follow-up examinations in patients at risk. However, a prerequisite for this is further investigation of the normal relationships of velocity to age and to actual bone mineral content.