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Osteoporosis is considered a “silent problem” because
it develops over many years, and there usually are no symptoms
until a fracture occurs. Determining a person’s risk
for osteoporosis is key to combating this skeletal condition,
which causes bones to weaken and break more easily.
At Monmouth Medical Center, an advanced imaging procedure — the
bone mineral density testing known as a Dexa scan — is
allowing this risk assessment to be performed quickly, accurately
and with minimal radiation exposure. Monmouth offers this
test through the Hologic Bone Densitometer, a state-of-the-art
diagnostic tool that detects low bone mass — the major
characteristic of osteoporosis — before fractures occur.
The Dexa system scan is considered one of the best tests
for predicting future fracture risk by the National Osteoporosis
Foundation. It can accurately measure bone mineral density
in the spine, hip or wrist (the most common areas for bone
density testing), takes only a few minutes and involves a
tiny amount of radiation.
Unless otherwise instructed by your physician, you may eat
normally on the day of the exam, but avoid taking calcium
supplements for at least 24 hours before your appointment.
It is recommended that you wear loose, comfortable clothes.
A sweatsuit or other sportswear free of metal zippers, buttons
or grommets is preferred. Patients who have had certain radiologic
procedures performed — including a barium study, radioisotope
injection, oral or intravenous contrast material from a CT
scan or MRI test — should wait at least seven days
before scheduling a Dexa scan.
You will undergo this scan fully clothed, and the 15- minute
study does not involve any injections. You will lie comfortably
still with your back on a padded table while the Dexa unit
scans the areas of your body to be evaluated — usually
the fractureprone spine or hips.
Bone mineral density (BMD) is calculated and compared to
normal BMD values, or those of a young person, and also matched
for age and sex to confirm or exclude low bone mass. A low
BMD score is used by physicians to determine a treatment
plan.
A radiologist interprets the scan, and your physician receives
a report that consists of the bone density measurements,
as well as a comparison of the results against an extensive
database of other patients who are the same age and sex.
For those placed on a treatment plan to improve bone density,
follow-up testing is performed to measure the patient’s
response to therapy.
Bone densitometry — using an advanced technology called
dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry — safely, accurately
and painlessly measures bone density and the mineral content
of bone. Radiation exposure during this procedure is extremely
low — one-tenth of the amount in a standard chest X-ray.
Those most at risk for developing osteoporosis are women
over age 50, particularly after menopause when a drop in
estrogen accelerates a loss in bone density. Other risk factors
include an inadequate calcium intake, low body weight, heredity,
physical inactivity, cigarette smoking and excessive use
of alcohol.
The Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a bone mineral density
test for all women age 65 and older, all postmenopausal women
who have suffered a bone fracture and postmenopausal women
who have a risk factor for suffering an osteoporosis-related
fracture.
, call the Radiology Department at
732-923-6800.
Click
here for the informational brochure (pdf),
available as a PDF (portable document format) file.
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