Bone quality assessed using quantitative ultrasound at the distal radius does not differ in antiretroviral therapy‐naïve HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative Rwandan women

Objectives The incidence of fractures appears to be increased in HIV-infected individuals. Methods We assessed bone quality using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in HIV-infected and uninfected Rwandan women. A Sunlight Omnisense 7000 QUS was used to measure the speed of ultrasound (SOS) at the distal radius in 646 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive HIV-infected women and 211 HIV-uninfected women. The Z-scores for SOS were based on data for women of the same age from the manufacturer's reference material. Results The mean CD4 cell count was 285 (± 166) cells/μL in the HIV-positive women. SOS Z-scores adjusted and unadjusted for body mass index did not differ between the groups. SOS did not differ by CD4 count (< 200 vs. ≥ 200 cells/μL: 4016 (± 117) vs. 4028 (± 107) m/s, respectively; p=0.19. Conclusions In HIV-positive ART-naive Rwandan women with advanced HIV disease, bone quality at the distal radius was similar to that in HIV-negative controls.