bone density test

[Lezly]

My mother-in-law fell last week & shattered her wrist & cracked her knee -- OUCH! The doctors are doing all sorts of bloodwork, due to the severity of her injuries. I asked if they were doing a bone density test & she said they must be for all the blood they've drawn.

How is this test performed & do you think she should get one done? For that matter, should I? Is a bone density test as important as a mamogram?

 

[Kristin Aziz]

I had one

The bone density test I had was called a Dexascan, I think. It doesn't involve blood work. It's similar to an X-ray, but the technician told me that the amount of radiation used is a lot less. I had to lie down on a table, and they passed a machine over me for about 5 minutes. That was it; very quick, and totally painless. You are not in an enclosed space like you would be for an MRI. The reason I had one done is that my orthopedic surgeon wanted to rule out premature osteoporosis as a contributing cause of my stress fracture (I'm 34 and have other risk factors for osteoporosis). I'd ask your doctor about whether or not this would be appropriate for you or your mother-in-law (I'm far from qualified to make that call!

). Hope she heals quickly!

Kristin

 

[bkloots]

Depends on your age

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Jun-02-00 AT 05:53PM (EST)</font></center>

If you're 40-ish, this may be a good time to get at least a preliminary bone density test for future reference. Keep an eye out for Health Fairs that offer a PIXI test. Sometimes employers, department stores, fitness centers, or hospitals will use this as a promotion, and offer it for a small price, like FREE or a few dollars. Perimenopause can begin much earlier than most women realize, and that's a time when bone loss begins to speed up.

For the PIXI test, you stick your heel in an X-ray machine, and a few moments later, you get a printout showing your position on a chart of bone density averages. This is one way you can get a quick read on whether or not you are in a questionable zone. Check with your doctor, of course, to see if she recommends the more comprehensive screening that Kristin described.