A DEXA scan is a special type of X-Ray which measures the density of bones, and can be an indication of low bone density, osteoporosis, and high risk of fracture. Higher bone density usually indicates less chance of minimal trauma fracture.

In general, two areas of the body are scanned to give an accurate representation of the entire body’s bone density. The lower back and one hip are usually included in your exam, but may be replaced with a scan of your forearm if you have had surgery or fractures in your back or your hips.

The radiologist will analyse your measurements compared against other patients of your same age and gender, as well as the whole population to give an indication of your risk of osteoporosis. This information can help your doctor decide if treatment is needed and right for you.

Please inform booking staff or the radiographer of any recent imaging appointments involving barium, the injection of contrast material for a CT scan or a radioisotope injection.

If you are pregnant, or if there is any chance you may be pregnant, a DEXA scan is not suitable for you. Please discuss other options with your referring doctor.

You will need to book an appointment for a DEXA scan, please contact our friendly reception staff to find a convenient time for you. Please remember to bring your referral, Medicare card, and any previous DEXA scans with you on the day of your appointment.

Please withhold any tablets that contain calcium for 2 days before your scans. If you have had any CT scans involving contrast, barium studies, or nuclear medicine scans, you will need to wait 7 days before having a DEXA scan to ensure your results are accurate.

You may be asked to change into a gown or remove metallic objects from your body, such as jewellery, zippers, buttons or pins to avoid interference with your scan. If you have had surgery to implant metal into the spine or hip, please inform the radiographer as this will interfere with your scan.

If you are pregnant, or if there is any chance you may be pregnant, a DEXA scan is not suitable for you. Please discuss other options with your referring doctor.

A Bone Mineral Densitometry examination is a comfortable, easy test that does not require an injection. You change into a gown. You will be asked to lie on your back in two different positions to allow measurement of the lower spine and one of the hips. The technique used in the test uses a very small amount of radiation, so please inform staff if there is any possibility of pregnancy. A radiographer will remain in the room for the entire examination.

Your exam will take approximately 15–20 minutes, depending on how many areas of the body we will need to scan in your circumstance. You will need to lie on your back on the scanning bed with positioning blocks under the legs for your exam. You will not need to hold your breath, but you must lie still during the scan to avoid blurring of your image.

There are no side effects from this exam. A DEXA uses a very small amount of ionising radiation, but is a significantly lower dose than a normal x-ray, which means the radiographer will be able to stay in the room with you during your scan.

It is important that you make an appointment to return to your doctor after you have collected your examination result. Whether they are normal or abnormal, your doctor needs to correlate with other information for further management.

Your result will include a copy of the images from your study as well as a report from our radiologist.

Depending on your referrer’s preference(s), a copy of the report can also be sent to your referring doctor by fax or electronic download.

Digital copies of all studies are stored on our secured database for comparison with any future examinations.

DEXA stands for Dual Energy X-ray Absorbimetry. It uses low-energy dual-energy x-rays which are absorbed by your body tissue in different proportions depending on what they are made of. By doing this we can calculate what percentage of muscle and body fat you have, and where it is located.

DEXA is a very safe scan, and there are no complications associated with the procedure. The radiation doses are very low and are less than one days’ exposure to natural background radiation. The average person in Australia receives about 1500 microsieverts every year from natural background radiation.

After having a DEXA body composition can, you are given a report which breaks down where your lean tissues and fatty tissues are located within your body. You can figure out which body parts you need to train more, and which body parts are best.

A DEXA is best used as a progress tool to track your muscle gains and weight loss. We recommend having a DEXA once before (or at the start of) an exercise regime and once every six months so that you can quantify your progess.