REMS as the Solution: Key Findings from the Japanese Bone Reports Study

This critical study, recently published in the prestigious Bone Reports journal, provides definitive evidence for the clinical utility of Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry (REMS) technology. The research focused specifically on the challenge of obtaining reliable Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurements in a highly vulnerable patient population.

Study Authors and Citation

The paper, titled: Japanese study “Radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry-based measurement of bone mineral density,” was conducted by researchers from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

The researchers from Japan stated: “REMS can measure BMD” in the lumbar spine and femoral neck of patients with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities (SMID). DXA measurements are often discontinued in these patients because of severe scoliosis or hip dislocation.

REMS Technology for SMID Patients: Why DXA Fails in Scoliosis

Patients diagnosed with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities (SMID) face a high risk for osteoporosis. However, DXA testing, the traditional method, is often unfeasible or inaccurate.

Reasons for DXA failure in this population include:

• Severe Scoliosis: The curvature of the spine prevents proper patient positioning. Furthermore, it causes artifacts that skew the DXA reading of the lumbar spine.
• Hip Dislocation: This condition makes accurate measurement of the femoral neck BMD unreliable or impossible.
• Movement Complications: The patient must remain perfectly still for the scan. This is often challenging, consequently leading to image blur and inaccurate results.

These limitations mean a significant number of at-risk patients are unable to receive densitometric evaluation of osteoporosis. This delays diagnosis and fracture prevention.

Practical Advantages: Why REMS Succeeds Where DXA is Discontinued

The study specifically investigated whether REMS technology could overcome these obstacles. The results were conclusive:

1. High Success Rate: All 65 patients with SMID in the study successfully underwent REMS scanning at either the femoral neck (82.5%) or lumbar spine (95.2%).
2. Portability: The non-invasive, portable nature of REMS meant staff could deploy it directly in the long-term care facility. This removed the dangerous complication of patient transfer and positioning issues common with traditional DXA scanners.
3. Reliable Results: Measurements obtained using REMS revealed low BMD and T-score values. In summary, this confirmed the expected high prevalence of osteoporosis in this group and validated REMS.’s ability to accurately perform BMD measurement in patients with severe motor and intellectual disability.

The data clearly suggest that REMS helps measure BMD in patients who are often excluded from standard screening due to complex medical conditions. Therefore, it establishes R.E.M.S. as a critical alternative to DXA.