L'osteoporosi, una delle malattie sociali più rilevanti e costose, si manifesta prevalentemente nella seconda metà della vita ed è caratterizzata dalla presenza di fratture atraumatiche.
Pertanto una diagnosi di osteoporosi il più precoce possibile è molto importante in termini di profilassi e di trattamento.
Negli anni passati c'è stato un considerevole progresso nello sviluppo e nell'applicazione clinica dei metodi non invasivi per misurare la massa ossea (densitometria ossea).
Questo articolo rivisita le metodiche densitometriche tradizionali: densitometria a singolo raggio fotonico (SPA), densitometria a doppio raggio fotonico (DPA), densitometria a raggi x a doppia energia (DXA), tomografia computerizzata quantitativa (QCT) e le più moderne tecniche come gli Ultrasuoni (QUS) e la risonanza magnetica (QMR).
Il crescente interesse per la densitometria ossea porterà certamente ulteriori miglioramenti tecnologici e renderà più semplice la comprensione della complessa biomeccanica del tessuto osseo, per predire, in ultima analisi, più accuratamente il rischio di fratture.
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