Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Measurement: As people’s bone mineral density decreases, their bones become more fragile, leading to a higher risk of osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures, even after injury.
Bone density measurement
As we age, our bone density tends to decrease, and our bones become more fragile, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. People with osteoporosis are at risk of easily breaking a bone, even if they have only minor injuries. Osteoporosis is considered a silent killer because patients often do not show any symptoms or notice anything unusual until a bone breaks, สนใจสมัคร? คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเริ่มต้น which usually occurs in the wrist, hip, and spine. Therefore, people who are at risk should have their bone density measured regularly.
Bone mineral density measurement is suitable for:
- Postmenopausal women and people aged 65 years and older
- Men aged 70 and over
- People who weigh less than 58 kilograms
- People with a history of fractures during adulthood
- People who use steroids for long periods of time
- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis
- Those whose immediate family members have a history of hip fractures from minor injuries
A bone mineral density test assesses bone in areas that are more likely to develop osteoporosis, including:
- Lumbar spine
- Femur
- Forearm
Bone density measurement will help
- Assess whether the patient has low bone mineral density prior to a fracture event.
- Assess the risk of future bone fractures.
- Confirm that the patient has osteoporosis
- Check if osteoporosis treatment is effective
A bone density test is different from a bone scan, which doctors do to diagnose broken bones, infections, cancer, and other bone disorders.
Different types of bone density measurements
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
measures bone mass in the wrist, hip and spine. It can predict future fracture risk, diagnose osteoporosis and determine whether the condition responds effectively to treatment. The results are highly accurate. - Quantitative computed tomography (CT)
is commonly used to measure spinal mass, but is not commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis. - An ultrasound scan
is used to check the density of the heel bone and the risk of fracture.