How to Interpret a Bone Density Scan

Certain risk factors make people more likely to develop osteoporosis or the loss of bone mass. These include age, menopause, being female, insufficient calcium and vitamin D, smoking, drinking alcohol and the long-term use of some drugs, such as steroids, Depo-Provera and anti-seizure drugs. If you have several of these risk factors, you should talk to your doctor about having a bone density test. It can determine whether you already have significant bone loss or if you are at risk for it. Interpreting the test results is fairly simple.

Instructions

• 1

  Examine your T-score. This score compares the typical bone density of a healthy same-sex adult to your bone density. If you have a T-score of above -1, you do not need to worry about osteoporosis. A score below -2.5 indicates osteoporosis.

• 2

  Discuss with your doctor some ways to increase your bone mass if your T-score is between -1 and -2.5. A T-score that falls into this range indicates that you have below normal bone mass. You do not have osteoporosis yet, but rather you are at risk of developing it. This condition is called osteopenia.

• 3

  Examine your Z-score. The Z-score takes into account many different factors, such as weight, age, sex and racial/ethnic origin. Z-scores are used to determine whether your bone loss is caused by something other than aging. If this score is below -1.5, your doctor will need to identify the underlying cause. Determining what condition is causing your bone loss can help prescribe the appropriate course of treatment.

• 4

  If your initial test was done with a peripheral device, ask your doctor to measure your bone density with a central device. A peripheral device measures bone density at the smaller bones. It isn't as accurate as the central device, which measures larger bones. If the peripheral device indicates bone loss, you should have these results confirmed with the central device.