DXA sites
Also called: hip and spine DXA, lumbar spine DXA, forearm DXA, 1/3 radius site
What it means
DXA sites are the specific body areas scanned during a bone density test, usually the hip and spine, and sometimes the forearm.
Knowing which sites were scanned helps you understand your bone density results and track changes accurately over time.
DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scans can measure bone density at several places on the body, and these are called DXA sites. The two standard sites used to diagnose osteoporosis are the hip (including the femoral neck and total hip) and the lumbar spine. Your doctor uses the lowest reliable score from these areas to help judge your fracture risk.
Sometimes a third site, the forearm, is scanned instead — usually the 1/3 radius site. This is used when the hip or spine can't be read accurately, such as with severe arthritis, spinal hardware, very large body size, or in people with overactive parathyroid glands, where the forearm reflects a different type of bone than the hip and spine.
Each site is reported with its own T-score and Z-score, and results can vary somewhat between them because the hip, spine, and wrist contain different mixtures of cortical and trabecular bone. Knowing which site was scanned helps you and your doctor track changes accurately over time and decide if your results meet standard criteria for osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Knowing which body areas were scanned helps you understand and track your bone density results accurately.
Where this leads
WordThe spine is a common scan site. See why the lumbar spine often shows early bone loss and what that can mean.
Related words
A DEXA scan is a low-radiation X-ray test that measures how much mineral is in your hip and spine bones, giving you…
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,…
The femoral neck is the angled part of bone joining your hip ball to your thigh bone shaft, and it's the most common…
The lumbar spine is the lower part of your backbone, made up of five vertebrae (L1-L5) between your ribs and pelvis.…
Total hip BMD is the average bone density measured across your whole hip joint on a DEXA scan, used to help diagnose…
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.
