I have heard that there is a technique of measuring bone density via
ultrasound rather than by conventional radiation. A Medline Search did
not uncover any articles with respect to this (perhaps more popular in
Europe ?). Does anyone have more information on this ?

You ask about information about Ultrasound uses in Bone Density?
Contact Mr. Ken Faulkner at The Center for Osteoporisis Research in
Porltand, Oregon. The center does a lot of research using,
radiation/ultrasound to determine bone density. They are lead by the

AOL.COM.   TCOR= 503-230-6586, Providence Med. Center. They are a fun
bunch of people, bout 20.
Danwaltz

There are currently several devices commerically available to measure NOT
Bone Density but Speed of sound (velocity) and/or a function called Broad
Band Ultrasound attenutation (BUA) and an amalgem of these called
'Stiffness', not to be confused with a similar quotient in Young's Modulus.

The bottom line is that you don't actually measure Bone Density as such but
more importantly this Stiffness which is probably as good as measuring BMD
in predicting fracture risk, either at the Neck of Femur or Spine. There
is some prospective data on Stiffness measured at the Os Calcis to support
this but it has yet to be published. Other sites under investigation, but
using just BUA or Velocity alone, are the Tibia and Phalanges but for thre
time being, all these device are essentially research tools, not clinical
as yet.

TTFN... Chris FOWLER