Space Device May Help Treat Bone Problems
Scientists looking for ways to keep astronauts in good physical condition on extended journeys into space have developed a device they say might help earthbound people who suffer from bone problems.
Scientists at the Ames Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported this week that the instrument can detect osteoporosis, thinning of the bones, a disease that strikes many elderly people. It also afflicts post-menopausal women, heart-transplant patients and people undergoing kidney dialysis.
Ames physiologist Donald Young developed a theory that bones behave like structural beams and that methods for testing the stiffness of the beams might also be applied to finding weakness in bones.
Detection in Minute
Charles Steele, a Stanford University professor of mechanical engineering, worked with Young in designing the new instrument, which they call the bone-stiffness analyzer.
The device can detect weak spots in less than one minute and without pain, they said.
They developed the instrument for use by astronauts on long-term trips into space, when their bones might be subjected to weakening because of weightlessness. The analyzer would signal the onset of osteoporosis, permitting the space travelers to start specifically designed exercises or, if necessary, to return to Earth.
The two scientists hope the analyzer will significantly speed up diagnosis of osteoporosis, which is usually detected only after a fracture or other bone problems. X-rays find it only after about 20% deterioration has occurred.
Tested for 3 Years
NASA said the device has been tested for three years on 300 persons, including rugby players and other athletes.
“We’re getting meaningful results. We’ve gained quite a bit of understanding,” Steele said.
The analyzer works by determining the bone’s resistance to pressure. The core of the device is wire-wrapped iron, through which an electric current is run to make the bone vibrate. The displacement is measured by a computer that uses data in its memory to gauge the stiffness of the bone.
The instrument is designed for use on arms and legs, and the scientists hope to refine it for fingers.
