The Lozère hospital continues to develop its care offer with the acquisition of a bone densitometer.
Like other organs, the skeleton is constantly undergoing changes. Indeed, it develops and strengthens until around 30 years old, when it reaches its maximum solidity and then gradually weakens with age. We then speak of osteoporosis which can be more or less accentuated with certain factors such as menopause.
What is bone densitometry?
Bone densitometry is the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Bone densitometry or “bone densitometry” or “biophoton absorptiometry” is a medical test to measure bone density, in other words the calcium content of the bones.
When the latter is abnormally low, it is called osteoporosis. The results of this examination make it possible to assess the risk of fracture.
Bone densitometry measures bone mineral density (BMD) using low intensity x-rays. The method consists in emitting X-rays in the direction of the bone to be analyzed, which the latter will partially absorb.
It is the rest of the radiation after it has passed through the bone that is measured in bone densitometry to provide information about bone density. The objective is to assess the degree of bone demineralization to determine the importance of the risk of fracture. The exam lasts approximately 15 minutes and is completely painless.
This medical imaging equipment is now present for the first time in the Lozère hospital.