Wearable Vibration Device to Prevent Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans over the age of 50 and leads to 1.5 million bone fractures per year, primarily in women. For senior citizens who suffer fractures of the hip, 20% will die within one year. Unfortunately, pharmacological treatments for osteoporosis have been met with resistance due to significant adverse side effects. This project aims to develop and test a non-invasive device to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women by delivering vibrationalstimulus to skeletal sites that are at high risk for fractures, particularly the hip and spine. Existing vibration devices require patients to stand on a platform for extended periods of time, which can lead to noncompliance, especially in the home setting. Moreover, when delivered through the feet, vibrations are attenuated significantly by the time they reach the hip and spine. The proposed device offers to more directly stimulate these skeletal sites of interest using accelerometer- based feedback