Country’s first high-resolution bone scanner installed at PGI, Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 8

Prof Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, inaugurated the country’s first high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) scanner for patient care at the endocrinology wing of Nehru Hospital extension block at the PGI here today.

Complementing the Department of Endocrinology on this milestone accomplishment, Prof Jagat Ram said: “HR-pQCT being non-invasive, giving very less radiation and quick results compared to bone biopsy, which is invasive, painful and time taking, will open new avenue not only in patient management, but in clinical and basic research.”

Earlier, while detailing about the multi-pronged usage of the unique scanner, Prof Sanjay Bhadada, Head, Department of Endocrinology, said: “HR-pQCT is useful for the early diagnosis of many bone disorders like osteoporosis, primary hyperparathyroidism, steroid induced bone damage, bone disease in diabetes, celiac disease, transplant bone disease, bone disease associated with malignancy, bone disease in thyroid and pituitary disorders and other rare metabolic bone diseases.”

“Early diagnosis of bone diseases can help in preventing future fractures. Furthermore, HR-pQCT can be used to monitor improvement in bone health following initiation of treatment which can be picked up as early as 3 months. Besides, HR-pQCT will help us to conduct advanced research in the field of bone disorders,” he said.

“The HR-pQCT is a high-end CT scanner that provides minute details about bone quality, bone mass, and also provides architectural details comparable to bone biopsy,” said Prof Bhadada.

“The bones that are usually scanned using the HR-pQCT are forearm and leg bone. An HR-pQCT scan entails a radiation exposure of only 5?Sv (micro Sievert), which is much less than a standard chest X-ray and almost one-third of the prevailing background radiation,” Prof Bhadada informed while enumerating the salient features of the high-end scanner.

Peripheral quantitative computed tomography

• HR-pQCT is a high-end CT scanner that provides minute details about bone quality, bone mass, and also provides architectural details comparable to bone biopsy.
• An HR-pQCT scan entails a radiation exposure of only 5Sv (micro Sievert), which is much less than a standard chest X-ray.
• The bones that are usually scanned using the HR-pQCT are forearm and leg bone.
• HR-pQCT can be used to monitor improvement in bone health following initiation of treatment.