Bone Densitometry

Catholic Health Bone Densitometry Analysis

Bone densitometry is an essential tool in osteoporosis management. Densitometry assists physicians in diagnosis, fracture risk assessment and overall bone health.

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the gold standard of tests for measuring bone density; this technology uses low energy x-ray to measure the strength of bones.

A prescription from your doctor is required.

How Bone Densitometry Detects Osteoporosis

Typically, low energy x-ray pictures of the spine and hips can be a good measure of overall bone density. The results can be used to confirm whether a patient has osteoporosis and how his or her bone mass is changing over time. The denser the bone, the less prone it is to fracture.

Early detection allows for treatment to occur to stop or delay osteopenia, which is mild to moderate bone loss, and osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become brittle due to a loss of bone mass (or bone density) and a change in bone structure.

How Long Bone Densitometry Takes

The procedure is painless, risk-free and generally takes about 15 minutes to perform.