Regional Representative Reports
Northwest Region, USA Q. How often will Medicare pay for DXAs? A. Medicare will reimburse for DXAs once every two years with a few exceptions, as long as the patient meets appropriate criteria for...
View ArticlePublic Policy Committee Update
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Vertebral Fracture Assessment: Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) has been recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a valuable...
View ArticleNew Format for OsteoFlash®
As mentioned in the first newsletter of 2005 the OsteoFlash® continues its reconstruction. It will be used as a toolbox to give ISCD: 1. A quick response to changes affecting the densitometry community...
View ArticleRegion of Interest: ROI Column Wal-Mart: A Case of Advocating for Patients...
John Goldman, MD, CCD OsteoFlash® Editor Dr. Michael R. Saitta, MD, FACR, CCD, an ISCD member and ISCD Certified Clinical Densitometrist (CCD), is a rheumatologist in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dr....
View ArticleA Basic Primer On Vertebral Fracture Assessment (VFA)
Andrew Laster, MD, FACR, CCD Public Policy Committee Chair WHAT IS VFA? Vertebral Fracture Assessment (VFA) is a new technology using central DXA that permits imaging of the thoracic and lumbar spine...
View ArticleVFA Update 12/05
Andrew Laster, MD, FACR, CCD Public Policy Committee Chair Official Indications The indications for vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) now appear in the Official Positions of the ISCD. These...
View ArticleRegion of Interest Column: Fracture Risk Assessment–Future Impact of the...
John A. Goldman, MD, FACP, FACR, CCD Bone mineral density (BMD) is used to diagnose osteoporosis and estimate fracture risk, but there are a number of clinical factors that provide information for...
View ArticleWhen Prescribing a Bisphosphonate Should the Clinician Measure the Patient’s...
John A. Goldman, MD, FACR, FACP, CCD At the ISCD 2006 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Dr. Paul Miller discussed the use of bisphosphonates in patients with possible impaired renal function (1). I have had...
View ArticleThe Value of Bone Density Testing
Synopsis: An article just published in the online version of the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2009;338:b2266) concludes that bone mineral density (BMD) testing by DXA to monitor response to...
View ArticleOsteoporosis Screening Guidelines
Vance J. Bray, MD, FACP, FACR The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released guidelines for osteoporosis screening on September 16, 2002. The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts in...
View ArticleWomen’s Health Initiative Commentary
Mary K. Beard, MD, FACOG Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Adjunct Clinical Professor, University of Utah Dr. Goldman is not alone in raising the various concerns presented in his article. The...
View ArticleThe Women’s Health Initiative in Perspective
John A. Goldman, MD Division of Rheumatology and Immunology Emory University School of Medicine The Woman’s Health Initiative (WHI) was designed in 1991-1992 to define the risks and benefits of...
View ArticleVitamin D Deficiency: The Silent Epidemic of the Elderly
Alfred Denio, MD Prior to the 1930s, rickets, or severe childhood vitamin D deficiency, was epidemic in the United States and Europe, afflicting an estimated 85% of children in industrial cities. In...
View ArticleOsteoporosis in Men
Pamela B. Sheets, MD The Polyclinic, Seattle, WA, USA Clinical Characteristics Osteoporosis is under-recognized and under-treated. The problem is compounded in men because of the misconception that...
View ArticleThe Skeleton in Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Joseph L. Shaker, MD Endocrine-Diabetes Center St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common condition with prevalence in the general population of...
View ArticleVertebral Fracture Assessment (VFA)
Vance J. Bray, MD The 2005 American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) coding manual includes a new CPT code, 76077, for vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) utilizing DXA...
View ArticleNew OsteoFlash® Format
OsteoFlash® will have a new primary responsibility beginning with this, the first newsletter of 2005. OsteoFlash® will serve as a means of communication between ISCD regional representatives and the...
View Article
