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Bone Densitometry
Preparing for Bone Densitometry Scanning
- Unless instructed otherwise, eat normally on the day of the exam; but avoid taking calcium supplements for at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Sweat suits and other casual attire without zippers, buttons, grommets or any metal are preferred.
- You should not have had a barium study, radioisotope injection, oral or intravenous contrast material from a CT scan or MRI within seven days prior to your DXA test.
- Simple, proven x-ray method
- Safe, low radiation
- Helps determine whether you are at high, increased or low risk of fracturing a bone
- Fast and comfortable... only takes minutes
- Easy... patient remains clothed
- Painless... non-invasive, no injections
- 250lb weight limit
Bone densitometry, using an advanced technology called DXA (short for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), safely, accurately and painlessly measures bone mineral density. During a comprehensive examination with DXA, the patient lays comfortably still on a padded table while the DXA unit scans two or more areas, usually the fracture-prone hip and spine.
Unlike typical x-ray machines, radiation exposure during bone densitometry is extremely low - less than the radiation exposure during a coast-to-coast airline flight. The entire process takes only minutes to complete, depending on the number of sites scanned. It involves no injections or invasive procedures, and patients remain fully clothed.