Spartan First Imaging and its academic partners from Monash University and Edith Cowan University welcomed leading researchers, Associate Professor Ayse Zengin and Professor Josh Lewis, to Kalgoorlie-Boulder this week as they calibrate advanced peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) technology and train Spartan's local team in its use as part of the groundbreaking SIMBA (Study of Indigenous Muscle and Bone Ageing) project.

The collaboration represents both the arrival of new technology and a critical step toward addressing a longstanding and deeply concerning inequity in Australian healthcare: the under-recognition, under-screening, and under-treatment of bone disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For too long, First Nations Australians have been assessed using osteoporosis screening frameworks and reference standards that do not adequately reflect their specific health risks, lived realities, or population characteristics.

Current Medicare-rebated bone mineral density (BMD) screening criteria often fail to account for the earlier onset and disproportionate burden of musculoskeletal disease experienced by many Indigenous Australians. As a result, too many people may be missing opportunities for early diagnosis, preventative intervention, and appropriate management.

The SIMBA study seeks to change this. By combining "gold standard" DXA imaging with advanced pQCT bone tomography, researchers will generate the first detailed musculoskeletal ageing and bone density database specifically focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

This will provide essential evidence 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; and support Indigenous Australians to remain healthy, independent, connected to family, and on Country for longer.

Spartan First Imaging CEO Des Headland said on Thursday that: "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."

"This research is about changing that. By helping establish accurate bone health reference data and advocating for earlier, equitable access to Medicare-supported screening, we have an opportunity to address a serious but under-recognised health disparity," he said.

"Our people deserve access to the same standard of preventative healthcare, informed by evidence that truly reflects them. This collaboration is not only about science—it is about equity, dignity, and ensuring future generations are no longer overlooked when it comes to musculoskeletal health."

As Australia's first private Indigenous-owned medical imaging provider, Spartan First Imaging said it is "honoured to help lead this work from regional Western Australia".

By bringing world-class research infrastructure into Kalgoorlie, Spartan said it is "demonstrating that rural and Indigenous communities should not be excluded from cutting-edge scientific advancement".

The initiative also highlights the power of combining science with cultural safety.

Through Indigenous-led healthcare delivery, local partnerships, and culturally meaningful environments, Spartan First Imaging says it can "improve participation, trust, and outcomes in communities historically underserved by mainstream systems".

"We believe every Australian deserves equitable access to accurate screening, early intervention, and evidence-based care, regardless of geography or heritage," Spartan said in a statement.

"The work beginning here in Kalgoorlie may help redefine Indigenous bone health policy across the nation."