I'm asking for bone density testing today.

[mmglobal]

During the last 2 weeks in Germany, I saw some examples of unexpected osteoporosis in relatively young men with zero reasons to suspect it.

Last night I received some unexpected subsidence films. Edit to add: NOT MY FILMS! Someone sent me films.

This morning I called to get into my local Ortho's office... I'm asking for bone density testing. Just thought I'd let everyone know... I don't know if this is smart or significant. I hope it doesn't cause a stampede. (Maybe I should go buy stock in the testing companies?)

Mark

[cervie queen]

What do you mean by subsidence films? Can you be specific about what type of bone density test gives the best results over previous types of tests. I know you told me, but unless I write it down it's gone. Also, on a bone density test, what do the numbers mean? What's a T Score? Should we get Femur, AP vertebra and lateral vertebra? (don't I sound smart, those terms were from old bone density test)

[cervie queen]

Here's a web site on this
http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/opbmd.html

[Harrison]

Mark, I am sorry to hear this. A while back, on another forum, I wondered why bone density tests are not only a best practice -- but a requirement! I hope all doctors get the message before other patients suffer the same fate!



CQ: that's a very helpful web site - thanks!

[Mariaa]

CQ
The T score is the number of standard deviations from the mean bone density for young healthy women. The exact age range to use varies among authorities but it is usually from 20 to 30 years of age.

**just looked at the webpage you provided, thanks!

[spotty14]

Mark,
Did you mean that you saw osteoporosis on patient films or DEXA scans or did you scrub in and see the actual bone during surgery that had osteoporosis? If so, what did it actually look like?

[mmglobal]

I just edited the original post to make it clear that I am not experiencing subsidence, but a friend is.

I had a Dexa-scan today. It's great having a cooperative, local ortho who will order what I want. He's always glad to see me smiling, because he lived through three years of my painful grimace and watched me spiral downward... never thought I'd be this good.

Spotty, the answer is both. I saw unexpected osteoporosis in Germany... both ways. In one case, we I knew pre-op that the testing showed osteoporosis and expected vertebroplasty. In another case, I knew that testing had been done, but didn't even ask the results because the pt. was a healthy and fit 47 year-old male. When Dr. B tapped the first retractor pin into the vertebral body, I could tell by the sound and the small amount of force that was applied that there were bone density issues. Only then did I ask and discovered that the tests showed bone density problems.

[mmglobal]

Dexa Bone Density Axial Skeletal results:

Lumbar spine: t-score 0.1

Left Femoral Neck: t-score 0.0

Right Femoral Neck: t-score 0.0

Sigh of relief!

Positive numbers are above average bone density. Zero is average, age adjusted bone density. Negative numbers are below average.

Osteopenia is -1.0 to -2.5

Osteoporosis is lower than -2.5

Did I say, "sigh of relief"?

Mark

[Brad]

Hi Mark,
You might remember I asked Dr. Regan at the luncheon about t score numbers. He said that -2 or lower was the area of concern. I am an example of a fit 45 year old with a t-score of
-1.5 in my back but 0 in my hip. This does worry me some. I saw dr Sharp, who is known throughout the world on this. He told me that it is not common A. for a male to have it and B. for it to be normal in the hip and low in the back.
I have had two different kinds of tests to verify this. If you have bone spurrs in your back it can skew the results because the test basically shoots energy through the bones and measures what energy gets through. The more energy that makes it through the less dense the bone is. The more bone spurs you have the more interference there is and it can actually show a higher bone density than you actually have not because the bone is dense but because of the spurr (just a little interesting info.)

When I was set to go to Stenum I told them that I had a t-score of -1 and they said it was not bad enough to worry about.
So, I guess the answer is that -2 does seem to be the point to worry about.

You can take drugs to fix this and it takes about a year.


No question everyone should have a bone density test before you have ADR. It is painless and takes only a few minutes.

Brad

[spotty14]

Brad,
Thanks for the information about bone spurs, I hadn't heard that before. There is medication you can take but many times it takes much longer than one year to get close to normal bone density. I know someone who took it for 4 years and now has nearly normal bone density. I would ask your doctor if he knows why you have this score. Is it caused by some sort of deficiency in calcium or what. That may help decide which treatment you might consider if you are pursing treatment.