Other Conditions and General Health

Thanks for your response.

As you see my Dexa results against Femur Neck, For T score and Z Score , two readings are given for each; one is normal and other Total. Which one out of these two figs is correct. I like to know just to be clear on the subject, in case you can clarify.

I really don't know for sure - I have never seen normal and total scores quoted in anything I have studied in the past and I can't find instructions for computing the total score.

However, the diagnosis of osteoporosis or not is made on the basis of the lowest t-score measured. From this afternoon's search I suspect the total hip is a reflection of the different scores obtained from the various areas of the hip, a sort of average if you like.

After a further search:

Or the direction of the line used for the calculation either passes through the entire hip or the neck of the femur - and the NOF always has a lower score than the total hip for obvious reasons.

You would need a radiographer working in bone densitometry to explain it fully and accurately.

However, for your purposes,  if you google "DXA-scanning-in-clinical-practice Oxford academic" the first link that comes up has illustrations of where the lines may be drawn for making the calculations. I think this probably answers your question.

Sorry, can't give the direct link here - rules is rules and this allows others to look at it too But I will pm it just in case.

Thanks for your response. I did not have any fracture. Went to the Doc for a minor issue. He wanted me to get at least Dexa done when I told him that at this age, I avoid going through various tests when I am feeling reasonably alright. After seeing the results, he told me to keep taking Calcium+Vit D.

That's good and of course no dancing on tables I would suggest you keep as active as you can as in walking or swimming, that's if you can swim of course, your doing very well and to be honest I think your right, too many tests as we get older can be very over the top.

Keep safe

"most males have less fractures than women."

They are beginning to realise that men develop osteoporosis as well - and with increasing life expectancy it will be more of a problem. They are convinced that you can prevent NOF fractures by giving medication but I won't get into that discussion here. I'm only impressed the GP DID a dexa rather than assuming low bone density and handing out bisphosphonates without confirmation.

Actually women do have an increased risk of fractures compared to men, also I was not implying that men dont suffer with osteoporosis, of course they do but they seem to be less prone to fractures, especially hip fractures. I suffer from quite a few forms of arthritis and osteoporosis as well, hence a hip and pelvic fracture last year which at the moment cannot be operated on till its less porous so compared to most I know quite a bit about osteoporosis and the available treatments which I have not been given due to a critically low vitamin D count.

At 84 with those figure he would not need pharmacological intervention other than vitamin D and calcium and regular blood tests to keep a check of his levels.

"At 84 with those figure he would not need pharmacological intervention other than vitamin D and calcium and regular blood tests to keep a check of his levels."

Quite. Personally I wouldn't accept intervention with those figures at any age. And you asked why he'd been sent for a dexascan - and that was why I said what he did,

..".what I did"

I think sometimes they test till they find something, I only had dexa after fall and that's when I found it, but it wasn't the osteoporosis that caused fracture it was the impact to my knee when I landed on it, surprisingly it didn't break my knee