Jan 26, 2010 during childhood and adolescence, body size and maturation are major determinants of bone mineral content bmc and bone mineral density bmd as measured by dualenergy xray absorptiometry dxa. Bone density test results are an objective way to measure bone density, which then can be used to assess whether you have osteopenia subnormal bone density or osteoporosis a condition characterized by decrease in bone mass. You have your bone density test results and now youd like to know more about what they mean. The dxa software calculates the bmc in the entire roi and divides by the. Bone mineral density testing and bone scan results marcelle. Bone density tests that use xrays expose you to about onetenth the amount of radiation as in a single chest xray. Bmd was mainly reduced at the lumbar spine in patients with vf, and at the proximal femur in patients with nonvf. Even better is to have the test done in the same location and even with the same operator.
Dual energy xray absorptiometry dxa has become the most common method for measuring bone mineral density bmd of small animals in metabolic bone disease research, and errors should be minimized in all procedures involved in research studies in. Proposed equations and reference values for calculating bone. Discordance in diagnosis of osteoporosis using spine and hip bone. Bone density dexa dxa sample exams rayos education. The diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia can be made based on the results of these tests. Depending on how low the white count, it would be wise to continue to be followed by a primary health care provider andor hematologist. How to understand bone density test results health hearty.
By that time, however, your bones could be quite weak. Tracking bmc or bmd in athletes for athletic performance and health. These include the systems calibration as well as testing some software features. However, because bmd is an areal density bmd area measurement, it is not a measure of true bone density 11, 12. Doctors examine bone mineral density test results to do the following.
Your bmd is compared to 2 normshealthy young adults your tscore and agematched adults your zscore. The test takes less than 15 minutes and you usually. Bone mineral apparent density university of washington. This scan is the standard procedure and machine used when a dexa scan is ordered. The xrays measure how much calcium and minerals are in a part of your bone. First, your bmd result is compared with the bmd results from healthy 25 to 35yearold adults of your same sex and ethnicity. A bone density test can give you a baseline reading as to whether you need treatment or not. For various reasons, the dexa scan is considered the gold standard or most accurate test.
It is still not clear whether there is such an association and if so, whether osteopenia is a causative factor or a consequence. This scan tests the hips or spine for bone density and, due to the size of the machine, is typically performed in a hospital or imaging center. As a result, the bone weakens and becomes vulnerable to stress fractures. Your bone density test results are compared to two norms.
Improving bone mineral density reporting to patients with an. This test helps to estimate the density of your bones and your chance of breaking a bone. Ge healthcare is a market leader in bone health and metabolic health. Concern for bone fragility in children and adolescents has led to increased interest in bone densitometry.
A bone mineral density test examines segments of your bone through xrays to detect osteoporosis. Bone mineral density in lifelong trained male football. A practical approach to interpretation of dualenergy xray. The difference is calculated as a standard deviation sd score. In children, bone mineral content bmc and bone mineral density bmd measurements by dualenergy xray absorptiometry dxa are affected by height status.
A bone density test is the only test that can diagnose osteoporosis before a broken bone occurs. Comparison of software versions for body composition analysis. Based on a medical examination, the doctor may recommend a specialized test called a bone mineral density test that can measure bone density in various sites of the body. If youre undergoing a bone density test, your results will come in the form of what is known as a t score. A dexa scan is the gold standard for measuring bone. Measurement of volumetric bone mineral density accurately. Using computer software, it then divides that number by the surface area of the bone being measured to create bone mineral density bmd. It uses enhanced xray technology to measure the amount of bone you have.
Low qus is an independent risk factor for future osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women. Your bone density test results, interpret your bone. Dxa, which stands for dualxray absorptiometry, is a low radiation xray capable of detecting very small percentages of bone loss. A bone mineral density test uses xrays to measure the amount of minerals in your bones. For the entire l1l4 region, it is the sum of the bmcs for l14 divided by the sum of the areas. Other names for it are bone densitometry, dualenergy xray absorptiometry, or dxa test. We offer dxa and ultrasonometer systems for a wide range of clinical and research applications.
How should the bone density patient intake questionnaire be used and who should use it. Find out who should get a bone density test, a procedure that assesses the strength of the bones and the probability of fracture. A bone density test is used to measure bone mineral content and density. Is decreased bone mineral density associated with development. Bone is in a constant state of turnovera process called remodeling. Width, height, and bone area were provided by the dexa software program.
Interspecies differences in bone composition, density, and. The only way to diagnose bone loss is to have a repeat bone density test, usually two years later. The concept is of mass of mineral per volume of bone relating to density in the physics sense, although clinically it is measured by proxy according to optical density per square centimetre of bone surface upon imaging. Young normal, known as your tscore, compares your bmd to optimal or peak density of a 30year old healthy adult and determines your fracture risk, which increases as bmd falls below youngnormal levels. Phantoms with known bmc, bmd and area mimic a region of the human. It is used for measuring bone density in the lower spine and the hip. A bone density scan is a simple, noninvasive test that measures a persons bone density or volume of calcium and minerals within bone tissue. Bone density, or bone mineral density bmd, is the amount of bone mineral in bone tissue. You simply lie flat on a padded table and the arm of the machine passes over your body. In our studies we calculate the volumetric bmd for each lumbar vertebra and take the average.
Bone density tests can measure the density or the level of minerals in these bones. The purpose of the present controlled crosssectional study was to investigate proximal femur and wholebody bone mineral density bmd, as well as bone turnover profile, in lifelong trained elderly male football players and young elite football players compared with untrained agematched men. Compared to carcass values, both newer versions still. Bone density tests can help determine if a person is at a risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become porous and susceptible to fractures. An xray radiograph is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat. At stanford, they took the results for 3 vertebrae l24 as a block, and called this the bmad. This test is important for people who are at risk for osteoporosis, especially women over the age of 65 or. Our previous pilot studies have suggested the presence of osteopenia in scoliotic animals. Determine the extent of bone loss osteopenia or osteoporosis before a fracture occurs. True bone density is a function of bone mineral content bmc per volume of bone, that is the volumetric bmd.
It may be done using xrays, dualenergy xray absorptiometry dexa or dxa, or a special ct scan that uses computer software to determine bone density of the hip or spine. Your health care provider can determine whether you are losing bone by comparing the initial and repeat bone density test results. As bones grow, the volume increases at a faster rate than the area, so the areal bone density will increase even if the volumetric density remains stable. Dexa scan help for understanding your results better bones. Bone densitometry is a simple and painless procedure that uses a low dose xray to detect signs of bone thinning and mineral loss. The method cannot detect the depth of the bone which is being measured, and thus is actually an areal density in gcm 2 rather than a volumetric or archemdean density in gcm 3.
As the skeleton grows and expands, bmc measured in grams increases exponentially. Your bone density test results are reported in two numbers. If an athletes activity is too great, the breakdown of older bone occurs rapidly it outpaces the bodys ability to repair and replace it. It is important to fill out this form prior to every bone density scan. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of scoliosis. The softwaregenerated reports appear to provide a comprehensive clinical. Volumetric bmd can be assessed only by quantitative computed tomography, but this technique involves high radiation. Dxa is todays established standard for measuring bone mineral density bmd. Patients with prevalent fractures had reduced bone density at all three areas in the unadjusted analysis fig. A bone density test determines if you have osteoporosis a disorder characterized by bones that are more fragile and more likely to break. When a patient has a followup scan with results that seem out of line, it is helpful to see if the areas measured were similar in each scan.
After the bone density scan, a picture is printed out that shows where the patients bmd falls compared to the norm. Dxa provides precise measurements of bone density at important bone sites such. Note decreased ba 15 cm 2 and bmc 1149 g but increased bmd 0. It is a simple scan that measures the density of your bones, usually at the hip and spine. At our clinic we like to monitor the results of a womans ntx test, which is a blood or urine test that indicates the rate of bone breakdown by measuring a specific molecule, or marker, released during bone resorption.
We enrolled a convenience sample of adults aged 50 and older at two medical clinics located in the midwestern. I got my body composition analyzed by bodyspecs dxa scanner, and here are the results posted on april 26, 2015 april 28, 2015 by adam tow on saturday, i went to the brick house fitness center in san jose, where bodyspec was conducting body fat, muscle and bone scans using a general electric dual energy xray absorptiometry scanner dxa or. Consider other bone health tests to get a more rounded perspective of your bone health. The aim of this study was to compare various methods to adjust bmcbmd for height in healthy children. Nof recommends a bone density test of the hip and spine by a central dxa machine to diagnose osteoporosis. To understand if your bones are at risk of fracture, we need to understand all your risk factors, including rate of bone loss. Bone densitometry is generally considered the best test to evaluate for the presence and severity of osteoporosis. Of course, your scan may indicate that you have no osteoporosis related concerns. It is a safe and noninvasive method of testing which exposes you to less radiation than a mammogram. Your tscore is the number of units called standard deviations that your bone density is above or below the average. In the past, osteoporosis would be suspected only after you broke a bone. The most widely used technique for measuring bone density is dexa dual energy xray absorptiometry.
Dexa or dxa, or a special ct scan that uses computer software to determine bone. First, your bmd result is compared with the bmd results from healthy 25 to. It estimates how dense or thick your bones are by using xrays. Table 3 men 65 years and older with fragility fractures in quebec in 1999 and 2000. The machine used is an open table with a cshaped arm. Jun 20, 2018 have you heard the term t score bone density at your doctors office. Precision is a measure of reproducibility of a measurement and can be expressed in terms of coefficients of variation %cv. I am 51 and had a baseline bone density test in february found out my hips are already at a 4.
As soon as we have interpreted the results of your bone density scan, we will pass them on to your primary physician, so that they are in the best possible position to plan an effective treatment regime with you. This measures the difference between your bone density and the expected value. Bone densitometry evaluates bone density by examining the bone mineral content in the hip, spine and forearm. Diagnostic discordance for osteoporosis is the observation that the tscore. Your tscore is your bone density compared with what is normally expected in a healthy young adult of your sex. Dual energy xray absorptiometry dxa is considered the most highly developed and most thoroughly validated technique for assessing bone mineral density, according to the world health organizations report on the prevention and. No consensus exists on how to adjust bmc or bmd bmcbmd measurements for short or tall stature. A t score bone density reveals how much lower or higher your specific bone density is, compared to that of a healthy adult at age 30. Bone mineral density bmd and the bone mineral content bmc were. Dexa results include five general buckets of information related to lean mass all tissues in the body except bone and fat, fat mass, bone density and visceral fat. The test is quick and painless, and it gives you a snapshot of how strong they are.
May 25, 2018 a bone mineral density test uses xrays to measure the amount of minerals in your bones. I, too, thought about a 2nd opinion, but my doctor said the xrays are read by a computer and are more than 99% accurate. The dexa scanner uses beams of very lowenergy radiation to determine the density of the bone. To determine patients preferences for, and understanding of, frax fracture risk conveyed through illustrations. Confirm a diagnosis of osteoporosis if a person already has broken bones fractures predict the chance of a person having a fracture in the future. Bone densitometry in children and adolescents american. Results for bmc and fm were significantly higher with 1. The staff understands that up to date information is required in order to pass the certification exams. The present study is, to our knowledge, the first to document interspecies differences in bone composition, bone density, and bone quality, based on a systematic comparison of a large set of different species that are frequently used in bone research.
A bone density test is used to measure the bone mineral content and density. Drawing on examples from published studies, four illustrations of fracture risk were designed and tested for patient preference, ease of understanding, and perceived risk. Whole body dexa scan dapa measurement toolkit medical. Total body dxa from a yearold patient processed using pediatric and adult software. Dualenergy xray absorptiometry experts agree that the most useful and reliable bone density test is a specialized kind of xray called dualenergy xray absorptiometry, or dxa. The test takes less than 15 minutes and you usually remain fully clothed, although any metal hooks or buckles need to be removed. A dxa examination most commonly includes a scan of the lumbar spine and one hip. Bone density scanning, also called dualenergy xray absorptiometry dxa or bone densitometry, is an enhanced form of xray technology that is used to measure bone loss. However, guidelines for the reporting of dxa scan results are less common.
Pediatric patients with genetic and acquired chronic diseases, immobility, and inadequate nutrition may fail to achieve the expected gains in bone size, mass, and strength, which leaves them vulnerable to fracture. Hip fractures associated with osteoporosis can result in mo. Susan brown, author of better bones, better body, bone density measurement can provide useful information in deciding how much of a bone building program is necessary, but such tests should be interpreted hand in hand with. It can enable you and your physician to devise a treatment plan to maximize your bone health. All the materials throughout the website addresses the arrt. Bone mineral density testing and bone scan results. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of scoliosis in an. Dxa measures the bone density at your spine and hip. A bone scan is an imaging test that helps to detect bone diseases and injuries. The test itself is painless, but you may experience some discomfort because you have to lie still.
Measurements of bone density and bone strength are shown in table 4. Your doctor may recommend a bone scan if they suspect you have osteoporosis brittle bones, a fracture, bone. Oct 26, 2015 using the same type of bone density testing machine is important for comparing results. This healthhearty writeup provides information that will help you understand bone density test results. Manufacturer, and model of instrument and software version. Boston medical center bmc is a 514bed academic medical center located in bostons historic south end, providing medical care for infants, children, teens and adults. Sometimes this exam is called bone density scanning or dualenergy xray absorptiometry dxa. A bone density scan compares your bone density with the bone density expected for a young healthy adult or a healthy adult of your own age, gender and ethnicity. Bone density test results interpret your bone density test. An association between adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and osteopenia has been proposed to exist. The values of the parameters of bone mass bmc, bmdarea, bmdheight. Bmc patient intake questionnaire international society. For bmc, the gold standard is the laboratory assessment of ashed bones, and dxa measurements of bmc are within 79% of ashed bone measurements 15, 16.
Using the same type of bone density testing machine is important for comparing results. Bone mineral density assessment for research purpose using. Official positions international society for clinical densitometry. Its a common test for men and women older than 50 at risk of developing osteoporosis. As quantitative ultrasound qus does not measure bone mineral content or density directly, it cannot be used to diagnose osteoporosis as currently defined by bone mineral content bmc or bone mineral density bmd assessment. The bmc is the bone mineral content within that area. What is a t score bone density and how to improve it. Oct 31, 2011 an association between adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and osteopenia has been proposed to exist. There are two scores used by experts to interpret your bone density test results, the tscore and the zscore. It will likely return to normal, but it should be followed. Understanding the results of your dxa test bone health. Bone densitometry imaging services sentara healthcare.
Mar 21, 2019 interpreting and understanding your scan results will make you get the most of your visit and help inform a plan to reach your goals with the help of a trainer and nutrition coach. The purpose of this form is to provide background information which will assist the technologist in acquiring the scan and help the clinician who interprets the results of the scan. Bone density scan dexa scan how it is performed nhs. Osteoporosis is diagnosed with a bone density scan commonly known as a bone density test. Interpreting and understanding your scan results will make you get the most of your visit and help inform a plan to reach your goals with the help of a trainer and nutrition coach. I got my body composition analyzed by bodyspecs dxa. Learn osteoporosis risk factors, bone density test results, and how a. Bone density test results a bone density test determines the bone mineral density bmd.