Compared to other capital investments, BMD testing is a bargain at a price range from about $50,000 to $150,000-plus for new equipment; with refurbished as low as $20,000 to $30,000, as a ballpark.

"Everybody knows CT, MR and nuclear medicine. But now more people are doing mammography or bone densitometry," said Leon Gugel, President, Metropolis International, Long Island City, NY.


"Bone densitometers never really were big money makers like a CT or nuke med cameras, but they still brought in some decent money [for health care providers]," said John Cline, Vice President, Tritech Services, Louisville, KY. "The fact is that it's still something that patients need."

Huge unserved market

Bone densitometry is an extremely promising technology that has far from fulfilled its market potential.

BMD testing procedures are growing at a rate of 15 percent each year. Yet the market remains untapped since 70 percent of women over 60 years of age - prime candidates for the exam - are not tested. This suggests a very promising future for this specialized modality.

"If you have 20 to 30 patients a month that you can test based on the number of patients in the practice, then [a refurbished] system will pay for itself and generate revenue," suggested said Jeffrey Rubinoff, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Complete Medical Services, Warren, MI. "We try to educate our dealers and end users that it's a critical modality. It's not a STAT test [of life-saving urgency], but it's important if you look at the numbers."

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of people 50 years of age and older. In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. As the population ages, those numbers will grow. While the disease is concentrated in women, men are also afflicted and represent a largely ignored patient base.

Costs associated with fractures argue for a more concerted effort to measure and treat osteoporosis. In 2005, osteoporosis-related fractures were responsible for an estimated $19 billion in costs. By 2025, experts predict that these costs will rise to approximately $25.3 billion, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Also favoring the market for bone densitometers is a diverse customer base of many medical specialties. They include orthopedists, rheumatologists, OB/GYN, endocrinologists, internal medicine, primary care and family practice, radiology, and even oncology.

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