Bone Densitometry
Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a condition resulting from bones that have lost calcium and thickness. Because of this thinning of the bones, a person with osteoporosis is at increased risk for a break in their bones. Many people are not aware that they have osteoporosis until a fracture has occurred.
Bone density tests are specialized, non-invasive tests using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) that can measure bone density in various sites of the body. A bone density test can detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs, predict your chances of fracturing in the future, determine your rate of bone loss and monitor the effects of treatment if the test is conducted at intervals of a year or more.
A bone density test is painless. The only prep is not to take any multi-vitamin or calcium tablets 8 hours before the test.
Hours:
At Metro Health Hospital: Mon. & Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wed. 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
At Metro Health Southwest: Tuesday & Thursday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.