A bone densitometry test, or scan, is designed to check for osteoporosis, a disease that occurs when the bones become thin and weak. Osteoporosis happens when the bones lose calcium and other minerals that keep them strong. Osteoporosis begins after menopause in many women, and worsens after age 65, often resulting in serious fractures. These fractures may not only bring disability, but may affect longevity. As many as one-fourth of women who fracture their hip after age 50 die within one year.

Tailored Interventions to Enhance Osteoporosis Prevention in Women (Nursing Center CE)
The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if tailored nursing interventions based on personal knowledge of bone mineral density from a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry cause increases in knowledge of osteoporosis, health beliefs, or osteoporosis-prevention behaviors in postmenopausal women 50–65 years of age, 6 months after the intervention.

SIGN Guideline

The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, bones become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis.

A Case Study on Osteoporosis in a Male Athlete: Looking Beyond the Usual Suspects (Nursing Center CE)
After presenting with chronic low back pain, a male track athlete was diagnosed with bilateral lysis at L5, slight listhesis at L5 on S1; asymmetrical lysis at L4; and right L5/S1 disc bulge with minimal S1 nerve root contact. Conservative treatment was chosen. After participating in a bone density pilot study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) investigating alcohol consumption patterns in intercollegiate athletes, he was diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis in his lumbar spine. Therapeutic drug intervention and rehabilitation were initiated.