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Co-founders Professor Paul Hansma and Alex Proctor pictured above and below is the hand held device for the Bone Score™ procedure.
Until now, bone-health assessment has been one size fits all. Bone Score™ ushers in a new era of accurate, individualized care.
1999, UC Santa Barbara physicist Paul Hansma set out to determine what made an abalone shell so strong, despite being composed of 97 percent calcium carbonate, or “chalk,” and only 3 percent organic material, or “glue.” This small amount of organic glue, Hansma discovered, makes the abalone shell 3,000 times stronger. It turns out that this same glue is found in other calcified materials, including human bones. Several years and many clinical trials later, that discovery has led to FDA clearance of an invention that promises to usher in a new era in bone-health assessment. Roughly 60 million Americans are at risk of suffering a “fragility” fracture, the result of low bone density, a measure of how much bone there is, or a deficiency in bone quality, i.e. how good the bone is. About one in three women and one in five men will suffer a such a fracture, which often results in permanent impairment or even death. For decades, a bone-density scan was the only widely available method for assessing bone health. But it provides a limited picture, estimating only bone density and missing the important quality component. As a result, people can have weak or fragile bones and also normal bone density. Conversely, someone with low bone density may have perfectly healthy bones, as seen in certain athletes, such as cyclists and swimmers, as well as in petite women. Lacking a way to measure bone quality, bone-density assessments involve a lot of well-intended guesswork. That is changing, thanks to a new tool that provides physicians with previously missing insights into the quality of the bone. Currently available only in Santa Barbara, the simple, accurate assessment tool is attracting health-minded tourists from across the country. The procedure (Bone Score™) is the clinical refinement of Professor Hansma’s glue discovery. The quick, radiation-free, in-office measurement involves a small, acupuncture-like tip that passes through the skin to press against the shinbone. A sensor records the softness of the bone and outputs a simple score, providing physicians unprecedented insights into the quality. The procedure can be performed regularly, either to monitor a patient’s reaction to drugs or other interventions, or as part of a regular checkup. Bone Score™ is available at Turner Medical Arts, Alta Orthopaedics, Discover Health and Montecito Concierge Medicine. To find a clinic and learn more, please visit bonescore.com/learn. DININGANDDESTINATIONS.COM
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