Dr khalid makhdom
Bone densitometry is the technique for evaluation of the density of bones.
The most common abnormality detected in this process is osteoporosis.
It is a condition characterised by low bone density with increased susceptibility to fractures.
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease," because it doesn’t produce symptoms until a fracture occurs.
The bones most likely to break are the hip, spine, and forearm.
One in two women and one in eight men are at risk of fracture or have at least one spinal fracture and don’t know.
Spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis are often painless, greatly increasing the risk for future fractures.
A woman’s risk of hip fracture alone equals her combined risk of developing breast, uterine or ovarian cancer.
Bone density
The diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis begins with an objective measurement of your bone density. Today, when doctors detect bone loss in the earliest stage, treatment is more successful.
Drug therapies are now on the market and have been shown to be effective in slowing or reversing the bone-loss process.
DXA scan is a painless examination consisting of a low dose x-ray and is the latest technique for bone densitometry.
DXA of the hip and spine is the gold standard for baseline bone density determination and follow-up measurements because of its high precision and accuracy, ability to measure bone density at clini-cally relevant sites and modest radiation exposure.
An examination with DXA takes only minutes to complete and involves no injections or invasive procedures and you remain fully clothed.
Your chances of developing osteoporosis are greater if you are female.
—-The writer is Aga Khan University Hospital’s, Section Head, Nuclear Medicine Unit
