Osteoporosis detection methods

Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

Updated on September 13, 2024

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Osteoporosis is a systemic special disease characterized by low bone mass and damaged bone microarchitecture, which leads to increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures. This is the standard set by the World Health Organization in 2017. However, currently in clinical practice, there is no direct method available to measure bone hardness. Therefore, an indirect method is used, which is the measurement of bone density. There are many methods to measure bone density, among which the gold standard is Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). Other methods include single photon, single energy X-ray, Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT), peripheral quantitative CT, and quantitative ultrasound testing.

Other Voices

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Written by Xie Yi Song

Orthopedics

1min 34sec

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How is osteoporosis treated?

Osteoporosis is a systemic metabolic disease characterized by low bone mass and destruction of bone tissue microstructure, leading to increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis is common in the elderly but can occur at any age. Effective pharmacological treatments can prevent and treat osteoporosis, including estrogen replacement therapy, calcitonin, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and bisphosphonates, which can prevent bone resorption but have little effect on bone formation. Medications used to treat and prevent the development of osteoporosis fall into two main categories: the first category includes drugs that inhibit bone resorption, such as calcium supplements, vitamin D and active vitamin D, calcitonin, bisphosphonates, estrogen, and isoflavones; the second category includes drugs that promote bone formation, such as fluoride, synthetic steroids, and isoflavones. In addition to pharmacotherapy, patients should also enhance nutrition with a high-protein diet, calcium, and various vitamins. High protein is beneficial for the formation of bone matrix, and calcium supplementation can promote calcium balance. Milk, rich in protein and calcium, is an ideal treatment diet, and it is also advisable to take appropriate amounts of calcium tablets, vitamin D, and vitamin C.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

59sec

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How is osteoporosis diagnosed?

How to check for osteoporosis? Currently, in clinical practice, there is no single instrument or technology that can definitively determine whether you have osteoporosis. Therefore, the examination for osteoporosis involves measuring bone density and bone markers, or combining these two methods to achieve a joint diagnosis. What is the gold standard for bone density measurement? It is DXA, which stands for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Through the measurement of this instrument, a Z-score and T-score will be obtained, among which the T-score is mainly used as the diagnostic indicator, while the Z-score is primarily considered for differential diagnosis. Secondly, bone markers are tested, and large hospitals, especially tertiary hospitals, perform this test very well. So, if you suspect that you have osteoporosis and want to know what tests to take? These two tests would be sufficient.

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Written by Chen Xie

Endocrinology

54sec

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What department should I go to for osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and destruction of bone microstructure, leading to increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures. It can be divided into primary and secondary types based on the cause. Secondary osteoporosis has a clear primary cause, often due to endocrine metabolic diseases such as gonadal insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, type 1 diabetes, or systemic diseases. Primary osteoporosis is commonly seen in postmenopausal osteoporosis and senile osteoporosis. Therefore, it is recommended to consult an endocrinology or orthopedics department for osteoporosis.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

1min 10sec

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Does osteoporosis cause pain?

Osteoporosis can be painful, and the clinical manifestations of osteoporosis are threefold: first, pain; second, vertebral deformation; third, fragile fractures. Pain is the earliest symptom of osteoporosis, which can be localized pain, generalized pain, aching pain, or dull pain. Therefore, for older individuals or women around the time of menopause, if there is unexplained pain, and no primary or secondary lesions can be found, osteoporosis should be considered. In fact, the examination for osteoporosis is quite simple. Currently, the most commonly used clinical examinations are radiological and biochemical tests. In radiological tests, DXA, which stands for Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry, is the gold standard for clinical diagnosis. In addition, some bone markers can be tested, making diagnosis fairly straightforward. Therefore, osteoporosis can be painful, and if there is unexplained generalized pain in conjunction with age and gender, osteoporosis should be considered.

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Written by Na Hong Wei

Orthopedics

43sec

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What are the massage techniques for osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is not suitable for massage because if the force is not controlled properly, it can cause fractures. This is due to the fact that fragile bones have a very low stress tolerance, and sometimes even a small external force can cause fractures. Moreover, the spine is the most common site of fractures. If massage is necessary, then only gentle techniques should be used, such as light kneading, pressing, or rolling. Do not apply heavy pressure or manipulate joints, and certainly do not perform bone-setting on others unnecessarily, as this can easily cause fragile fractures, resulting in more harm than good and bringing trouble. Therefore, it is generally best to avoid massages for those with osteoporosis.