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Bone density tests are usually done on bones that are most likely to break because of osteoporosis, including:
- Lower spine bones (lumbar vertebrae)
- The narrow neck of your thigh bone (femur) where it adjoins your hip
- Bones in your wrist and forearm
Bone density can be measured using either a central device or a peripheral device.
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Central device. A central device is a large machine on which you lie down during bone density testing. The equipment measures your bone density at your hip or spine through a test called a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, or DXA scan. A DXA scan offers very precise results and is the preferred test for diagnosing osteoporosis.
During the test, you lie on a padded platform for a few minutes while an imager — a mechanical arm-like device — passes over your body. It won't touch you. The test does, however, emit radiation, though your exposure during a bone density test is commonly about one-tenth of the amount emitted during a chest X-ray. The test usually takes five to 10 minutes to complete.
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Peripheral device. A peripheral device is a small, portable machine that measures bone density on the periphery of your skeleton, such as in your finger, wrist or heel. Peripheral devices are often found in pharmacies and are considerably less expensive than are tests done on central devices.
Because bone density can vary from one location in your body to another, a measurement taken at your heel usually isn't as accurate a predictor of fracture risk as is a measurement taken at your spine or hip. That's why, if your test on a peripheral device is positive, your doctor might recommend a DXA scan at your spine or hip to confirm your diagnosis.
- Bone mass measurement: What the numbers mean. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/bone_mass_measure.asp. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Screening for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: Recommendations and rationale. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/osteoporosis/osteorr.htm. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Raisz LG. Screening for osteoporosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Hansen KE, et al. Osteoporosis. In: Duthie EH, et al. Practice of Geriatrics. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/155482233-3/0/1532/150.html?tocnode=53845866&fromURL=150.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Bone density scan. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=dexa&bhcp=1. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Fast facts on osteoporosis. National Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/diseasefacts.htm. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Lane NE. Metabolic bone disease. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/155482233-4/0/1807/695.html?tocnode=55733918&fromURL=695.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10092-0_3381. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Bone mineral density (BMD) testing: What the numbers mean. National Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/bmdtest.htm. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
