You should have bone mineral testing if you have an increased risk of osteoporosis. Women aged over 65 and men aged over 70 are more likely to develop osteoporosis. Bone mineral density testing can also detect osteopenia, an intermediate stage of bone loss between normal bone density and osteoporosis. Your doctor may also suggest bone mineral density testing to monitor how your bones are responding to treatment if you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Other reasons you may require BMD include: prolonged steroid use, early menopause, male hypogonadism (lower than usual testosterone).

No preparation is required for the scan, however booking an appointment is required. On the day of your scan, you will change in to a gown and lie on a special bed. Our technicians will place you in to the correct position and ensure you are comfortable. The scanner head moves down your body from head to toe slowly, capturing bone matter at each relevant site for the scan. The scan itself lasts approximately 5 minutes and total time in the DEXA suite should be around 10 – 15 minutes.

BMD is conducted at Ace Radiology via a DEXA machine. DEXA uses very-low level X-ray to scan the body. Radiation from a DEXA scan is substantially less than background levels incurred in the natural environment.

An analysis of your situation will be generated by the DEXA machine and form part of the information to report on your overall bone health. The report and any other key data or images will be transmitted digitally to your referring physician within 24 hours, ready for you to attend your next appointment.