Diagnostic Tests

DEXA Scan

Osteoporosis is a progressive disease in which your bones become thin and brittle, increasing the risk of fracture especially in the hips, wrist and spine. It is a silent disease. You may not know you have osteoporosis until you break a bone. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is more prevalent in older women. In fact, almost fifty percent of all women, and twenty-five percent of all men older than 50 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis. There are many risk factors including:

• Gender
• Caucasian/Asian race
• Thin body frame
• Family history
• Medication
• Low calcium/vitamin D consumption
• Lack of exercise

Early detection is vital in osteoporosis. Currently, a bone mineral density test is the best way for your physician to assess your bone health. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or DEXA scan is a basic noninvasive procedure which uses X-rays to measure the level of weakness in our bones. It is the most accurate and effective method of diagnosing osteoporosis.

To prepare for your exam:

• Do not take calcium supplements the morning of your test.
• Wear loose comfortable clothing, avoiding garments with zippers, belts, or buttons made of metal. A gown will be provided for you if any clothing needs to be removed.
• Obtain any prior bone mineral density reports and bring them with you to your exam.

Please alert our staff to the following:

• Are your pregnant or think your may be pregnant?
• Have you had the following in the last seven days?
• Bone scan or other nuclear study?
• IV contrast in X-ray?
• Oral or rectal contrast in X-ray
• Have you had a DEXA in the past two years?

During this procedure, you will be asked to lie still on a padded table while the machine passes over your body measuring your bone mass. To assess your spine, your legs will be supported on a padded box to flatten your lower back. To assess your hips, your lower leg will be placed in a support that rotates your hip inward. This test takes approximately 30 minutes. Dexa scans are done every few years to help physicians monitor bone density.