A Woman's View is now
offering bone density scanning with the Norland's DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray
Absorptiometry).
Bone densitometry is a noninvasive technology that is
used to measure bone mass. Bone mass, simply put, is the weight of the skeleton,
overall or in specific regions. Bone mineral density, or BMD, reveals a risk
factor for fractures.
DEXA, the gold standard
in densitometry, creates a dual-energy spectrum from an x-ray source. One method
involves alternating pulses of low and high kV that are applied to the x-ray
tube. The low- and high-energy spectra are then measured separately. The other
method applies a constant potential to the x-ray source while using a K-edge
filter to separate the energy spectrum into two narrow energy bands. An
energy-discriminating detector with a dual-channel analyzer counts the resultant
photons. The use of two energies allows bone mineral to be assessed
independently of soft-tissue inhomogeneities. Bone mineral content (BMC) and
bone mineral density (BMD) are calculated in g/cm and g/cm2, respectively.
Once you have been scanned, which is completely non-invasive and
painless, either Dr. Vickie Lovin or Dr. Denise Bilhorn will interpret your
results. They have been trained and certified by the
International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD).
This is a very easy, quick, non-invasive test to see if you are suffering
osteopenia, or bone loss. Severe bone loss leads to Osteoporosis, one of
the most common diseases. There are some links to web sites about this
condition below. The bad news is that often there are no visible symptoms
of Osteoporosis until you have a broken bone. The good news is that the
earlier this disease is caught, the better the chance of slowing bone loss or
even reversing it.
Since we started doing DEXA scans in May of 2003, approximately 75% of our patients we scan have at least mild bone loss. Since this condition affects millions of people, this is not surprising. Here are some of the risk factors for bone loss:
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If you are over the age of 65 you should have a bone density scan every two years. It should be noted that if you have any of the risk factors, you need to have a DEXA scan done rather than the heel screening. Heel screening is not as accurate and can miss some cases.
The lace ribbon represents Osteoporosis Awareness, which is observed in May each year. When bones begin to lose mineral mass, they first begin to look like Swiss cheese inside, then lace. This is one of the reasons they are so brittle and easily broken.
To find out more about Osteoporosis Awareness Month and how you can observe it, visit http://www.nof.org/prevention/prevention_month_campaign.htm. If you need any information about osteoporosis or bone density scanning, please contact Dianne Keller, RNC at (828) 345-0800 or dkellerrn@charter.net.
Links to information about osteoporosis:
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A Woman's ViewE-mail at awomansview@charter.net
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by A Woman's View, Last Updated on August 1, 2006.
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