Reference database for bone speed of sound measurement by a novel quantitative multi-site ultrasound device

The nonuniform skeletal involvement in osteoporosis argues for multi-site evaluation. The Sunlight Omnisense (Sunlight Ultrasound Technologies, Israel) is a multi-site device that measures speed of sound (SOS) at the appendicular skeleton. We report the reference database for SOS at the radius (RAD), tibia (TIB), metatarsus (MTR) and phalanx (PLX). The database was obtained from 1521 healthy Israeli women (age 20-90 years) out of 2051 respondents. SOS was determined in 97.6% of the participants at the PLX, 96.4% at the TIB, 93.6% at the RAD and 85.1% at the MTR; it was not measurable in 0.5%. Short-term coefficient of variation was lowest at the RAD and always less than 1%. Maximal SOS was noted at 35-45 years of age in three of the sites (RAD 4169 m/s, MTR 3663 m/s, PLX 4047 m/s, respectively) but 10 years earlier at the TIB (3939 m/s). In the perimenopausal period (age 46-55 years), SOS was always lower in post- as compared with premenopausal women (p