 What is Osteoporosis?
How do I know if I have Osteoporosis?
What are the risk factors?
What can I expect during the test?
How does the densitometer work?
- What is Osteoperosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weak to the point of breaking.
This weakening may be due to aging or caused by other factors that combine with age. Symptoms of
Osteoporosis do not occur until a significent amount of bone strength is lost. The most visible symptoms
may include loss of height along with curvature of the upper back. Osteoporosis also can result in crippling
and painful fractures, occurring most often in the hip, back or wrist.
 Top of Page
- How do I know if I have Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent dis-ease." There are rarely signs until a lot of bone has been lost. A medical
test that measures the amount of bone is the best way to detect Osteoporosis. Bone densitometry is one such test.
The bone densitometer uses small amounts of X-rays to measure the amount of bone mineral. The amount of bone relates
directly to bone strength.
Top of Page
- What are the risk factors?
Important risk factors for osteoporosis include:
- Female
- Caucasian
- Advanced age
- History of bone fracture
- A small thin frame
- A family history of osteoporosis
- Removal of the ovaries
- Early menopause
- A low-calcium diet
- Lack of exercise
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Alcohol and tobacco use
Top of Page
- What can I expect during the test?
Bone mineral density testing determines a person's bone health status and potential fracture
risk. The bone densitometer is like a large examination table. It is padded and comfortable. 
Your name, age, height, weight and race will be entered into the computer before your test.
This information is used to compare your results to a normal reference group.
A certified densitomerty technologist (CDT) will position your arms and legs for the test.
The complete test is painless and typically takes one to ten minutes. You just need to lie still
and breathe normally. Top of Page
- How does the densitometer work?
The bone densitometer uses small amounts of X-rays to produce images of the spine, hip, or forearm.
The X-ray is composed of two energy levels, which are absorbed differently by the bones in the body.
A computer analyzes the variences in absorption levels to calculate how much bone material is present.
The technical term for this methos is "dual X-ray absorptiometry", or DXA. The spine and hip are measured
because that is where osteo-poratic fractures most often occur. Top of Page
|
