Osteoporosis package

Osteoporosis package

• Vitamin D (25 OH);
• Osteocalcin;
• PTH;
• B – Crosslaps;
• Calcium;
• Phosphorus;
• Magnesium;
• Alkaline phosphatase.

A sampling fee is payable separately.

When and why is bone density testing done?

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and damage to the microstructure of the bones. When it occurs, the fragility of the bones increases and, accordingly, the risk of getting fractures also increases. It is one of the highest socially significant diseases of our time and in the last 2 decades of the 21st century it ranks among the top 3 of them.

Bone density tests are important for early detection of the risk of osteoporosis.

How do you get to the problem?

Bones in their normal state are not completely dense inside, but have a natural porosity. However, due to various factors, such as increasing age, a decrease in minerals important for bones, this porosity increases as the pores become larger in volume, resulting in a decrease in the density of the bone structure. In these circumstances, the risk of bone fracture also increases.

The condition is known as osteopenia and is essentially a reduction in bone density. If left untreated and the factors that led to its onset and consequently lead to its progression are not removed, it can develop into osteoporosis.

What are bone density tests?

The purpose of this type of research is to obtain information on the degree of risk of developing osteoporosis. One of the following methods of bone density testing can be used to obtain this information – by X-ray, by scanner or by ultrasound. The test itself is also known as densitometry or densitometry.

Some of the most used methods here are peripheral and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, dual photon absorptiometry, quantitative computed tomography and ultrasonography.

It is believed that the most accurate results can be given by double-energy X-ray absorptiometry, also called DEXA.

The operating principle of this bone density test is based on X-ray radiation. The more X-rays pass through the bone being examined, the lower its density and vice versa. The sensitivity of the results is so great that the method can detect a two percent reduction in bone density.

It should be borne in mind that different methods examine the density of different bones. In DEXA, for example, the passage of radiation through the hip joint and spine is monitored. Peripheral DEXA, on the other hand, measures the density of the bones of the legs or arms.

Under what circumstances is bone density testing recommended?

Some patients are more prone to developing osteoporosis. Their common signs lead to the formation of risk groups, which it is advisable to examine in relation to the bone density status of their skeleton.

Risk groups here are commonly associated with age. It is recommended that all women over 65, as well as men over 70, should have such an examination, regardless of whether they fall into the osteoporosis risk groups. Below this age, testing is recommended when factors that place the patient in an osteoporotic risk group are also present.

Women at risk include premenopausal women who are relatively underweight, have previous bone fractures, or are taking or have taken medications that can damage bones. Older people with previous injuries or fractures are also at risk.

This includes all persons who are taking medications that lead to bone density loss, such as hypnotics, glucocorticoids, and anticonvulsants.