Diagnostics
Diagnostic Performance of Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry Compared with Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry: A Real-World Study
By Isabella Nardone, Sium Wolde Sellasie, Simona Zaccaria and 5 others.
Abstract
Background
Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry (REMS) is an ultrasound-based technique for the assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) that has been proposed as an alternative to dual-energy X ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Although previous studies have reported high diagnostic concordance between REMS and DXA, evidence from real-world settings remains limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance and agreement between REMS and DXA in a clinical population undergoing BMD assessment.
Methods
In this retrospective observational study, 145 subjects undergoing BMD evaluation were assessed with both REMS and DXA. Complete paired examinations were available for 142 patients at the lumbar spine and 134 at the femoral neck. DXA was used as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance of REMS was evaluated by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Agreement between REMS and DXA diagnostic classifications was assessed using linearly weighted Cohen’s kappa. Mean REMS and DXA measurements were compared using paired Student’s t-tests, whereas agreement between continuous BMD measurements was assessed using Bland–Altman analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminative performance of REMS T-scores.