Bone Densitometry: Applications and Limitations

Osteoporosis is clinically diagnosed in its advanced stages, usually following a fracture. Accurate, precise, and noninvasive skeletal assessment is now possible for early detection of osteoporosis at a preclinical stage. Currently, the gold standard in bone mass measurement and fracture prediction is dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the hip and spine. Exponential increases in fracture risk have been observed with small decreases in …