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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffA bone density test determines if you have osteoporosis — a disease that causes bones to become more fragile and more likely to break.
In the past, osteoporosis could be detected only after you broke a bone. By that time, however, your bones could be quite weak. A bone density test makes it possible to know your risk of breaking bones before the fact.
A bone density test uses X-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone. The bones that are most commonly tested are located in the spine, hip and forearm.
References
- Osteoporosis: The diagnosis. NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/diagnosis.asp. Accessed Aug. 5, 2011.
- Bone density scan. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=dexa. Accessed Aug. 5, 2011.
- Lewiecki EM. Overview of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 5, 2011.
- Diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/guidelines_and_more/gl_os_prot/womens_health/osteoporosis/osteoporosis__diagnosis_and_treatment_of_.html. Accessed Aug. 11, 2011.
- Kleerekoper M. Screening for osteoporosis. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 11, 2011.
- Bone mass measurement: What the numbers mean. NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/bone_mass_measure.asp. Accessed Aug. 11, 2011.
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