OrthoVirginia’s bone density testing helps with the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, which affects an estimated eight million women age 50 and over in the U.S. alone, occurs when the body loses bone at a rate faster than it can be replaced. Subsequently, bones become weaker, more brittle and more likely to break.

The bone densitometry test, also known as a DXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) study, is the most accurate test available for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and is also considered an accurate estimator of fracture risk. This test is risk free and painless and utilizes less than one tenth the radiation of a standard chest x-ray.

Ask your primary care or OrthoVirginia physician about a bone density testing referral today!

Who should have a bone density test?

• All women age 65 and older
• Postmenopausal women who have sustained a fracture
• Men with clinical conditions associated with bone loss
• Patients on medications known to cause bone loss, such as long-term steroid use and various anti-seizure medications
• Those with Type I (juvenile onset) diabetes, kidney disease or liver disease
• Hyperthyroidism patients
• Anyone with a history of vertebral fractures

Special Considerations

• You should wait four to six weeks to have a bone density test following a bone scan, since this could interfere with test results
• The weight limit for the bone densitometry machine is 300 pounds
• For re-screening, Medicare requires at least two years between bone densitometry tests

Bone Density Testing Location

Henrico Parham