What is Bone Density and How does it work?

Bone Densitrometry measures changes in bone quality to determine the presence or absence of osteoporosis. With highly sensitive bone densitometry, osteoporosis can be detected much earlier, making treatment more successful. The DEXA machine sends a thin, invisible beam of low-dose x-rays with two distinct energy peaks through your bones. One peak is absorbed mainly by soft tissue and the other by bone. The soft tissue amount can be subtracted from the total and what remains is a patient's bone mineral density.All devices feature special software to compute the data and display them on a computer monitor, allowing your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. The amount of radiation used is extremely small—less than one-tenth the dose of a standard chest x-ray.