Heel ultrasound
Also called: quantitative ultrasound, QUS, calcaneal ultrasound, heel scan
What it means
A heel ultrasound (QUS) is a quick, radiation-free test that uses sound waves through your heel bone to estimate bone density and give a rough fracture-risk signal.
It can flag possible bone density concerns early, prompting a more accurate DEXA scan before anything is diagnosed.
Heel ultrasound, also called quantitative ultrasound (QUS), is a bone-density test that uses sound waves instead of X-rays. A small device sends sound through your heel bone (calcaneus), and measures how fast it travels and how much it weakens along the way. These measurements give a rough idea of bone density and structure.
It's often used as a quick screening tool, especially in pharmacies, clinics, or settings where a DEXA scan isn't available. It's portable, has no radiation, and is relatively inexpensive. However, it's less precise than a DEXA scan, and results aren't used alone to diagnose osteoporosis — a suspicious result is usually followed by a formal DEXA scan.
Bone is naturally difficult to image with sound because it reflects most of the signal at its surface, which is why older ultrasound devices could only study accessible spots like the heel. Newer approaches, such as REMS, try to extract more detail from the raw sound signal itself. Your doctor can help interpret any heel ultrasound result and decide if further testing is needed.
How sure is this?
Graded Established Science: Supported by broad scientific consensus and decades of research. Read each study with its grade in mind. One study is a piece of the picture, not the whole of it.
A quick, radiation-free heel scan can flag possible bone density concerns before a more detailed test is needed.
Where this leads
WordHeel ultrasound skips radiation for a quick check. Curious about another radiation-free scan that looks at your spine and hip instead?
Where the Academy teaches it
This page is the short version. The lessons teach it in full, with the context around it and a quiz to lock it in.
Related words
A DEXA scan is a low-radiation X-ray test that measures how much mineral is in your hip and spine bones, giving you…
A T-score shows how your bone density compares to a healthy young adult, measured in standard deviations, and it's…
A Z-score compares your bone density to other people your own age and sex, which matters most for younger adults,…
Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) is a measurement taken from your spine DEXA image that estimates how well-connected your…
REMS is an ultrasound-based scan that estimates bone density and tissue quality at the spine and hip without using…
The calcaneus is the heel bone, the large bone at the back of your foot that supports your body weight and absorbs…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
