Study targets gaps in Indigenous bone screening

Spartan First Imaging and academic partners from Monash University and Edith Cowan University have launched advanced bone imaging work in Kalgoorlie-Boulder this week, aiming to reshape how osteoporosis risk is identified and managed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

Leading researchers, Associate Professor Ayse Zengin and Professor Josh Lewis, visited Kalgoorlie-Boulder to calibrate peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) technology and train Spartan First Imaging’s local team.

The work is part of the SIMBA (Study of Indigenous Muscle and Bone Ageing) project, which will combine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) with pQCT to capture detailed bone and muscle data.

Key Points

The collaboration is framed as a response to the under-recognition, under-screening, and under-treatment of bone disease affecting many First Nations Australians. Researchers and clinicians involved in SIMBA say longstanding screening frameworks and reference standards have not adequately reflected Indigenous health risks, lived realities, or population characteristics.

“Too often, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been expected to fit within healthcare frameworks that were never properly designed to reflect their unique health profiles, communities, or lived experiences,” Des Headland, CEO of Spartan Imaging, said.

According to the project partners, current Medicare-rebated bone mineral density (BMD) screening criteria frequently miss the earlier onset and disproportionate burden of musculoskeletal disease observed in many Indigenous Australians. As a consequence, opportunities for timely diagnosis, prevention, and clinical management can be lost.

Evidence base to change national screening policy

SIMBA seeks to generate the first detailed musculoskeletal ageing and bone density database specifically focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. By pairing “gold standard” DXA with advanced pQCT tomography, the consortium plans to build an evidence base to inform policy and practice.

Researchers say the database will be used to:

• Advocate for lowering the Medicare rebate eligibility age for Indigenous Australians to better match real-world disease burden
• Develop appropriate population-specific reference standards for bone density and fracture risk assessment
• Improve early diagnosis of osteoporosis and related bone disorders
• Guide culturally informed prevention and treatment strategies
• Reduce preventable fractures, disability, and associated chronic health complications
• Support Indigenous Australians to remain healthy, independent, connected to family, and on Country for longer

Indigenous-led delivery and cultural safety

Spartan First Imaging is Australia’s first private Indigenous-owned medical imaging provider and says it is honoured to help lead the SIMBA work from regional Western Australia.

By bringing research-grade infrastructure to Kalgoorlie, the organisation says it aims to show that rural and Indigenous communities should not be excluded from cutting-edge scientific advancement.

Indigenous-led healthcare delivery, local partnerships, and culturally meaningful settings can improve participation, trust, and outcomes in communities historically underserved by mainstream systems. The organisation also stated that equitable access to accurate screening and evidence-based care should not depend on geography or heritage.