““Longitudinal changes of the femoral bone mineral density from first to third trimester of pregnancy: bone health assessment by means of non‑ionizing REMS technology”
Ruben Ramirez Zegarra1 Valentina Degennaro1 Maria Luisa Brandi 2 Greta Cagninelli 1 Sergio Casciaro 3,4 Gabriella Celora1 Francesco Conversano 3,4 Fiorella A. Lombardi 3 Paola Pisani 3 Tullio Ghi 1
1 Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, University of Parma, Italy
2 Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sulle Malattie dell’Osso (F.I.R.M.O.), Florence, Italy
3 Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Lecce, Italy
4 Echolight Spa, Lecce, Italy
Highlight:
REMS technology allowed to monitor bone health throughout pregnancy, from the first to the third gestational trimester. REMS revealed a significant reduction in bone mass, of more than 2%, at the femoral site even from the first trimester of gestation.
This was demonstrated by a study conducted at the University Hospital of Parma, by longitudinally assessing the changes in the bone health status of a cohort of 65 pregnant women from the eleventh week of gestation. The patients underwent two femoral REMS scans, at first and third trimester of the pregnancy, respectively.
The study highlights that REMS ultrasound technology is an important tool for assessing and monitoring BMD, even during pregnancy, and opens new perspectives for the evaluation of the impact of drug treatment on maternal bone mass.