OsteoProbe® is a new device that assesses bone material strength index (BMSi) in vivo. Several studies have been conducted in clinical samples but few studies have been population-based. Therefore, it is unknown if a study involving BMSi testing for individuals from the broad population is feasible. The aim of this preliminary study was to gauge the feasibility of conducting such a study.
Subjects were drawn from a convenience sample of 26 male and female study participants and volunteers (age 23-82 years, 16 males and 10 females). BMSi was measured using the OsteoProbe® at the mid-tibia in reclined position following the administration of local anaesthetic. A questionnaire was given to each participant immediately following the measurement, asking them to rate on a line scale (out of 10) the level of pain that was (i)anticipated, (ii)experienced (iii)their initial reluctance towards the measurement and (iv)whether they would be willing to undergo the measurement again.
All volunteers agreed to the procedure and there were no test failures. The mean(±SD) BMSi was 80.4 ± 8.3 (range 51.7-94.7). Mean values for men and women were 83.0±5.1 and 76.2±11.9, respectively. The expectation for pain during the OsteoProbe® measurement was low; mean 2.09 ±1.77 out of 10. Participants were not reluctant to undergo the measurement (0.98±1.24). The acceptability of the actual OsteoProbe® measurement was high; pain experienced was low (0.70±0.60). All participants indicated a willingness to undergo the measurement again.
In this study, the OsteoProbe® was well accepted by participants. There was poor correlation between BMSi and age and mean BMSi appeared to be higher in men; however, a larger sample size will be required for analyses. These preliminary data suggest that microindentation testing with the OsteoProbe® is feasible in epidemiological studies.