A DEXA (or DXA) scan uses two very low-dose X-ray beams to measure how much mineral is in your bones, usually at the lower spine and hip. It is the standard test for diagnosing osteoporosis and estimating fracture risk.
It tells you how dense your bones are compared with a young adult and with people of your age. It does not show why bone is thin, and it cannot show the internal quality of bone, so some people fracture despite a fair score.
What Bone Density Scan (DEXA) shows
The report gives bone mineral density in grams per square centimetre for the lumbar spine, the total hip and the femoral neck, and sometimes the forearm. Each is converted to a T-score: minus 1.0 or above is normal, between minus 1.0 and minus 2.5 is low bone mass (osteopenia), and minus 2.5 or below is osteoporosis. A Z-score compares you with your own age group and is used for children, men under 50 and premenopausal women. Many machines add a side view of the spine to detect silent vertebral fractures, a trabecular bone score, or whole-body fat and muscle composition.
When Bone Density Scan (DEXA) is recommended
- Women aged 65 or over and men aged 70 or over
- Postmenopausal women and men over 50 with risk factors such as low body weight, smoking or a parent who broke a hip
- Anyone who has broken a bone after a minor fall as an adult
- Long-term steroid treatment, aromatase inhibitors or androgen deprivation therapy
- Early menopause, coeliac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, overactive thyroid or parathyroid
- After bariatric surgery or with eating disorders
- Monitoring response to osteoporosis medication
Limits and situations where another test is better:
- Pregnancy, as with any X-ray, even though the dose is tiny
- Severe spinal arthritis, scoliosis or previous fusion can falsely raise spine readings, so the hip or forearm is used
- Both hips replaced: the forearm is scanned instead
- Repeating it more often than every 1 to 2 years rarely shows a meaningful change
- It does not investigate bone pain; other imaging does that
How to prepare
- Stop calcium tablets 24 hours before the scan
- Wear clothes without metal zips, buttons or underwiring around the trunk and hips
- Tell staff if you had barium or a contrast or nuclear scan in the past week, as the scan should be delayed
- Bring previous DEXA reports; comparisons are most reliable on the same make of machine
What happens during the test
You lie on your back on an open table, not in a tunnel. For the spine your legs rest on a padded block; for the hip your foot is turned inward in a brace. The scanner arm passes slowly above you while you keep still and breathe normally. It takes 10 to 20 minutes and nothing is injected. The radiation is less than a day of natural background exposure.
Results and next steps
The scan is analysed straight away and a reported result is commonly ready the same day. The doctor combines the T-score with your age and risk factors, often using the FRAX tool, to estimate your 10-year chance of a major fracture. That determines whether you need lifestyle measures and vitamin D alone, blood tests for a hidden cause, or medicines such as bisphosphonates or denosumab.
- Test time: 10 to 20 minutes
- Results ready: Same day
- Back to everyday activity: None
Safety and risks
- A very small radiation dose
- Misleading values from arthritis, fractures or metal in the scanned area
- Differences between machines that make results from two centres hard to compare
Arranging Bone Density Scan (DEXA) in Türkiye
It is not worth a journey by itself. It is a sensible addition to a check-up for women after menopause and men over 70, or to the work-up before joint or spine surgery, since it is quick and reported the same day. Treatment and repeat scans are then best arranged at home on one consistent machine.
Send your previous reports and the question you want answered and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should it be repeated?
Usually every 2 years when on treatment or at higher risk, and much less often if the first result is normal.
What is the difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis?
Osteopenia is mildly low density and is common with age; on its own it seldom needs medicine. Osteoporosis is a T-score of minus 2.5 or lower, or a fragility fracture.
Is a heel ultrasound just as good?
No. Heel devices can screen, but diagnosis and treatment decisions rest on central DEXA of the hip and spine.