Bone loss on plain X-ray film

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterised by a reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) and deterioration of the bone microarchitecture¹. BMD remains the central diagnostic indicator of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a complex, often asymptomatic skeletal condition that can be classified as primary or secondary and is frequently only identified following a fragility fracture. It is commonly seen among elderly patients, leading to increased incidence of fragility fracture and fracture risk². Demographic forecasts predict a 19.6% rise in the UK’s ageing population by 2030, thus increasing the burden of fragility fractures and osteoporosis³. Osteoporosis is typically diagnosed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the gold standard method that measures BMD and provides a T-score, used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis criteria when the T-score is ≤ - 2.5 in the femoral neck, total hip or lumbar spine on a DXA...