Hi Hucky,

I don't know anything about oseteoarthritis and ADR, but from what I understand, osteoporis and osteopenia are concerns when thinking about ADR, in the long and short term.

Radiolucent/demineralized bone (osteopenia)and reduction of bone mass without alteration in the composition of bone (osteoporosis) are likely to cause subsidence (the sinking of the prothesis into the endplates) either immediately after surgery or later on.

Dr B asks for a bone density test pre-ADR, and there's a special coating (I think it's commonly referred to as bone cement, at least that's the French translation) that can be 'painted' on weakened or at risk bone prior to implantation of the device, in order to try and prevent subsidence.

I don't know what the limits of this technique are, or at what point a doctor would say 'no way, your bone quality is just not good enough to take an ADR'

Women in particular are at risk of bone density loss after menopause, as the hormones that somewhat protect against it are in lesser quantity, so what happens to bone after menopause in each individual woman is also an unknown, and part of the 'ADR crapshoot'.

Hope, from what age are you advised to have that scan???

Trace