Bone Health And Bone Density Testing

Bone health and bone density testing determine if a patient is a candidate for osteoporosis, is currently living with osteoporosis, or has weakened bones that will require medical intervention. The bone scanning process is noninvasive in nature. A scanning arm that uses a low level of radiation will capture images of the bones. 

Risk Factors

Aging men and women who haven't endured any broken bones may be candidates for bone testing. A medical practitioner will usually recommend that a patient receives testing. The recommendation may be based on a patient's current health or any bone issues they have dealt with in the past.

If osteoporosis runs in a family, a doctor may prescribe a bone scan. Older individuals who have recently endured a broken bone may also qualify as candidates for a scan. Risk factors that pertain to a man or a woman will fluctuate, based on a patient's unique medical history.

The Testing Process

A patient who will undergo this type of testing will need to lie on a flat table that has a scanning arm attached to it. The arm will pass over the body, capturing a full scan of all of the bones in the body. The images that are captured can detect the thickness of bones and bone mineral density variables.

A scan can also detect fractures, poor alignments, and other conditions that would warrant medical intervention. For instance, a patient may have fractured a bone a long time ago, but not even realized it. If a bone healed improperly, issues could arise in the future that would make treating a bone more complex.

A calculator that is used with the aid of a software program can detect if a fracture in the future is likely. A calculator utilizes bone density results, a patient's age, sex, their height, and some answers that they have furnished for some standard questions to determine the likelihood of a fracture.

The facilitator of a bone testing process will have received formal training to execute the test process. Although a bone test is fairly simple for a patient to participate in, many complex processes are used to collect data and provide an analysis.

Upon detecting bone issues, a patient may receive a referral to a bone specialist. A bone specialist will provide routine appointments that address osteoporosis or any other bone problems that require that a patient follows a regimented treatment plan.

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