Radiographic Cortical Thickness of the Humerus in Detecting Post-Stroke Regional Bone Loss

June 12, 2026 updated by: Cansin Medin, Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital

Post-stroke immobilization and reduced weight-bearing frequently lead to significant regional bone mineral density loss and asymmetry, particularly in the paretic upper extremity, which increases fracture risks. While Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for evaluating systemic bone loss, it primarily focuses on axial or lower extremity sites and lacks universal accessibility. Since routine shoulder radiographs offer an opportunistic screening tool to evaluate regional bone quality without additional radiation , this study aims to compare proximal humerus cortical bone thickness between the paretic and non-paretic sides in stroke patients and assess its correlation with systemic DXA values to determine its clinical utility.

This cross-sectional, observational study involves a retrospective data analysis of patients aged 18 and older who experienced a single unilateral stroke at least 6 months prior and present with clinical hemiparesis. Eligible participants must have concurrent standard anteroposterior shoulder radiographs and DXA measurements available from their routine clinical follow-ups. Patient demographic data, stroke characteristics, Brunnstrom stages, and systemic DXA measurements (femoral neck and lumbar spine T-scores and bone mineral density values) are systematically recorded for analysis.

Cortical bone thickness measurements are performed using ImageJ software on standard radiographs at points 10 cm and 12 cm distal to the highest point of the humerus. To ensure reliability, measurements for both the paretic and non-paretic sides are conducted independently by two researchers who are completely blinded to the DXA results. Statistical analyses, including paired t-tests or Wilcoxon tests and Pearson or Spearman correlations, will be used to compare the sides and evaluate the relationship between radiographic cortical thickness and systemic bone density.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Background Post-stroke immobilization and reduced weight-bearing often lead to significant regional bone mineral density (BMD) loss and asymmetry, particularly in the paretic upper extremity, which increases fracture risks. While Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for evaluating systemic bone loss, it primarily targets axial or lower extremity sites and may not be universally accessible in every clinical setting. Routine clinical imaging, such as standard shoulder radiographs, presents a valuable opportunistic screening tool to assess regional cortical bone quality without exposing patients to additional radiation.

Objective The primary objective of this cross-sectional, observational study is to compare proximal humerus cortical bone thickness between the paretic and non-paretic sides in patients with stroke. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the correlation between radiographic cortical thickness measurements and systemic DXA values to determine the clinical utility of standard X-rays in identifying post-stroke regional bone loss.

Study Design and Methods This retrospective data analysis will include patients aged 18 and older with a history of a single unilateral stroke occurring at least 6 months prior, and presenting with clinical hemiparesis. Eligible participants must have concurrent standard anteroposterior shoulder radiographs and DXA measurements.

Measurement Protocol: Cortical bone thickness (CBT) will be measured at 10 cm and 12 cm distal to the highest point of the humerus using standard radiographs via ImageJ software.

Blinding: Measurements will be independently performed by two separate researchers who are completely blinded to the patients' DXA results.

Comparison: The radiographic cortical thickness values from both paretic and non-paretic sides will be correlated and compared against femoral neck and lumbar spine (L1-L4) DXA T-scores and BMD values.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

65

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Recruiting
        • Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults aged 18 years and older recruited from the clinics of Istanbul Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital. Participants will include hemiparetic individuals with a history of a single unilateral stroke occurring at least 6 months prior, who possess concurrent standard shoulder radiographs and systemic dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients aged 18 years and older.
  • A documented history of a single unilateral stroke that occurred at least 6 months prior to evaluation.
  • Presence of clinical hemiparesis.
  • Availability of concurrent standard anteroposterior (AP) shoulder radiographs taken within 6 months post-stroke alongside systemic DXA measurements.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of surgical intervention in either shoulder. History of a proximal humerus fracture.
  • Co-existing metabolic bone diseases, such as primary hyperparathyroidism or osteomalacia.
  • History of malignancy.
  • Documented history of corticosteroid use.
  • Imaging artifacts that compromise the accuracy of DXA measurements.
  • History of a secondary stroke.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Poststroke Hemiparetic Individuals
This observational, retrospective cohort consists of hemiparetic adult patients aged 18 years and older who experienced a single, unilateral stroke at least 6 months prior. Selected participants must have concurrent systemic DXA measurements and standard anteroposterior shoulder radiographs taken within 6 months post-stroke from routine clinical follow-ups.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in Proximal Humerus Cortical Bone Thickness Between Paretic and Non-Paretic Sides
Time Frame: Baseline
The average cortical bone thickness measured in millimeters on standard anteroposterior shoulder radiographs. Measurements are taken at exact locations 10 cm and 12 cm distal to the highest anatomical peak of the humerus on both the paretic and non-paretic sides to evaluate localized bone loss asymmetry.
Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlation Between Radiographic Cortical Bone Thickness and Systemic Bone Mineral Density
Time Frame: Baseline
The correlation between the radiographic proximal humerus cortical thickness and systemic DXA values, specifically the bone mineral density (g/cm^2) of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine.
Baseline
Correlation Between Radiographic Cortical Bone Thickness and Systemic T-scores
Time Frame: Baseline
The correlation between the humerus cortical thickness measurements and systemic DXA T-scores to determine the clinical utility of standard X-rays in reflecting systemic osteopenia or osteoporosis classifications.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 22, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IstanbulPMRTRH5

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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