Bone Densitometry
May 28,2024 Update
Bone Densitometry
This test measures the amount of calcium and mineral components (bone density BMD), which are the building blocks of bones, and the test is necessary for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and for determining the effectiveness of drugs and other treatments. At our hospital, bone density is measured by using the difference in transmission of two different energy X-rays, called the DEXA method.
The examination room is in Radio-Imaging Diagnostics on the first floor in examination room X-11.
Introduction to the examination room
Introduction to the examination room
| Examination room | Equipment |
|---|---|
| X-11 | HOLOGIC Discovery X-ray bone density measuring device (DEXA method) |
Time for the examination
| Part | Body position | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lumbar spine (front/side) | Lie on your back | About 5 - 10 minutes |
| Wrist (forearm bone-radius) | Sitting | About 5 minutes |
| Femoral neck | Lie on your back | About 5 minutes |
| Entire skeleton | Lie on your back | About 8 minutes |
Important Points
- Please talk to your attending doctor or the technician in charge if you are pregnant or have a possibility of being pregnant.
- The following objects are to be removed, and you may have to change into examination clothes.
- Metal products (necklaces, watches, magnetic patches, bras, etc.)
- Buttons, poultices, hand warmers, T-shirts (with rubber prints, lame (interwoven metal, etc.)
- Corsets, etc.
- Patients who have undergone tests using barium preparations (e.g., stomach or colon), nuclear medicine tests, or contrast studies within one month should consult with the requesting physician, as these may affect the bone density values.
- Please feel free to contact us if there is anything that is not clear regarding the examination.
- Please contact the department that made the examination appointment if you are unable to visit our clinic on that day.
Bone Densitometry Q&A
- Q. What is osteoporosis?
- Osteoporosis is a disease where the density of the bone decreases due to a calcium shortage in the body and the bones become easy to break.
Specifically, many older people and postmenopausal women experience this.
Early detection/early treatment, and periodic checkups of osteoporosis are important when there are low subjective symptoms.
- Q. Is it OK to eat when I am having an exam?
- There are no restrictions on meals or medications.
- Q. It is hard for me to lie on my back?
- The lumbar spine (front and side) and femur cannot be measured without lying on your back. Please consult with the attending doctor to evaluate using other parts.
- Q. Are there any differences in the accuracy of the testing methods?
- There are several types of bone densitometry as follows:
Our facility has adopted the DEXA method, which is excellent in measurement accuracy and has low exposure.
| Bone densitometry method | Inspection and measurement sites | Measurement accuracy | Exposure dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEXA method | Lumbar wrist (radius),femur,entire skeleton | Good | Low |
| MD method | Hand (2nd metacarpal bone) | Slightly poor | Slightly high |
| SXA method | Wrist (radius),heel (heel bone) | Good | Low |
| Q-CT | Lumbar vertebrae (third lumbar spine) | Poor | High |
| p-QCT | Wrist (radius),tibia | Good | Slightly high |
| QUS (ultrasonic method) | Calcaneus (Insufficient clarification of readings) | Slightly good | None |
