About Bone Mineral Densitometry
How can Bone Mineral Densitometry help me?
Osteoporosis is a disease of bone which causes loss of minerals and deterioration of tissue. This can lead to the risk of injury or a fracture particularly in the hip, spine or wrist. This condition often affects women after menopause. However, it may also be found in men and young adults.
A Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD) is today’s established standard for measuring bone density and diagnosing osteoporosis. To detect osteoporosis accurately, and painlessly, doctors use DXA (dual-energy x-ray absorpirtometry), an enhanced form of x-ray technology. Measurements of the lower spine and hip are most commonly taken. This will evaluate your risk level for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Canada recommends that all individuals age 65 and over should be tested for osteoporosis. If aged 50 or over or have experienced a fragility fracture, you should be assessed for risk factors and BMD testing may be recommended. Younger women and men (under the age of 50) with a disease or condition associated with low bone mass or bone loss should also be referred for BMD testing. Bone mass can be lost steadily over many years without experiencing any symptoms or signs of the disease until a fracture occurs. Therefore early detection is crucial.
At Canada Diagnostic Centres, we have a dedicated Bone Mineral Density Analyzer coordinating and overseeing all the BMD exams. This ensures that the best possible scans are obtained by our team of technologists. The scans are analyzed to a constant high standard to achieve the most reliable and accurate results.
