Bone density units
Also called: g/cm2 bone density, BMD units
What it means
Bone density units are the way bone scan results are measured and reported, usually as grams of mineral per square centimeter (g/cm²), plus standardized scores like T-score and Z-score that compare you to other people.
Knowing how your results are measured helps you understand your DEXA report and track real changes over time instead of guessing.
When you get a bone density scan, like a DEXA, the machine measures how much mineral is packed into a certain area of bone. This is reported in grams per square centimeter (g/cm²), a raw number that reflects areal bone density at spots like the hip or spine.
Because raw g/cm² numbers are hard to interpret on their own, doctors also use standardized scores. A T-score compares your bone density to that of a healthy young adult, while a Z-score compares you to people your own age and sex. These scores, measured in standard deviations, are what the WHO cutoffs for osteopenia and osteoporosis are based on.
Your bone density report may also show the raw g/cm² values alongside T-scores and Z-scores for each site tested, often the hip and lumbar spine. Comparing these numbers over repeat scans, with attention to the least significant change, helps your doctor see whether your bone density is stable, improving, or declining over time.
Bone density is reported both as raw mineral content and as standardized T-scores and Z-scores for comparison.
Where this leads
WordYou now know the units exist. Here's exactly what that T-score comparison to a young adult means for you.
Related words
A T-score shows how your bone density compares to a healthy young adult, measured in standard deviations, and it's…
A Z-score compares your bone density to other people your own age and sex, which matters most for younger adults,…
A DEXA scan is a low-radiation X-ray test that measures how much mineral is in your hip and spine bones, giving you…
Bone mineral density (BMD) measures how much mineral is packed into your bones, usually estimated with a DEXA scan,…
A bone density report is the results printout from a DEXA scan showing how strong your bones are at different sites,…
Least Significant Change (LSC) is the smallest change in a DEXA scan result that's big enough to count as real,…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
