Bone density tests determine your risk for osteoporosis and can also indicate whether or not you already have the disease. Osteoporosis causes bones to degenerate, becoming fragile, porous and vulnerable to fractures and breaks. Bone density tests measure the calcium and mineral content of a bone segment, using X-rays.
Know What to Expect
Find out more about the kind of bone density test your doctor will be performing so that you know what to expect. Most bone density tests involve a central DXA scan. DXA stands for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. This non-invasive test requires you to lie down on a large machine during the scan. You can remain fully dressed, and the test should not take longer than 15 minutes. The central DXA scan typically measures bone density in your hip or spine. Peripheral DXA scans involve portable devices that measure the bone density of bones at the periphery of your skeleton, such as the wrist or heel bones. Another common bone density test called the quantitative ultrasound, or QUS, uses sound waves to measure bone density. The quantitative computed tomography and peripheral quantitative computed tomography tests use radiation to measure bone density. Bone density tests do not expose you to large amounts of radiation, however. One round-trip plane flight between New York and San Francisco can expose you to 10 to 15 times more radiation than a bone density test, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Prepare to Talk to Your Doctor
Let your doctor know if you recently had an oral contrast or nuclear medicine test. The radioactive tracer injections associated with those tests can interfere with the results of a bone density test, according to MayoClinic.com. Also prepare to ask your doctor important questions about your bone density test. Ask when you can expect to find out the results of the test. Once you get the results, ask your doctor what these results mean about your risk of osteoporosis or your response to treatment for osteoporosis. Ask how soon you should plan to take another bone density test.
