Written for patients: what the scan can and cannot answer, the radiation involved, what to tell the team beforehand, and what the radiologist's report will say.

What DEXA shows

Bone mineral density, measured rather than pictured. The scan quantifies how much mineral is packed into a given area of bone at the lumbar spine and the hip — the two sites whose fractures carry the greatest consequences — and sometimes the forearm where those sites cannot be used. Some scanners also report whole-body composition.

How it works, and what it feels like

Two X-ray beams of different energies pass through the region being measured. Bone and soft tissue absorb the two energies differently, so subtracting one from the other isolates the bone signal and yields a density in grams per square centimetre. That figure is then compared with reference populations to produce a T-score and a Z-score. You simply lie on an open table while a scanning arm passes above you — there is no tunnel, nothing touches you, and you feel nothing.

Safety and radiation

The dose is remarkably small: a DEXA scan delivers substantially less radiation than a single chest X-ray, and less than most people receive from natural background radiation in an ordinary day. It is low enough that repeat scans for monitoring are routine, though the interval is usually one to two years — not because of dose, but because bone density simply does not change fast enough to be worth measuring sooner.

Who should not have a DEXA scan

Tell the team before your scan if any of these apply

Pregnancy: Although the dose is very small, DEXA is not performed in pregnancy or where pregnancy is possible, because the measurement is elective and can always wait. Tell the technologist before the scan.
Recent contrast, barium or nuclear medicine study: This is the commonest avoidable reason a DEXA is invalid. Residual barium, iodinated CT contrast or a radioisotope tracer scatters the beam and produces a meaningless density. Leave at least one to two weeks after any of those before booking.
Metalwork or previous surgery at the measured site: Spinal fusion hardware, a hip prosthesis, vertebroplasty cement or surgical clips make the measurement at that site unusable. Tell the centre in advance so an alternative site — the other hip, or the forearm — is measured instead.
Severe scoliosis, vertebral collapse or marked degenerative change: Advanced degenerative change and collapsed vertebrae falsely RAISE the apparent spinal density, which can mask genuine osteoporosis. The radiologist will exclude affected vertebrae or rely on the hip measurement, but only if the history is known.
Inability to lie flat and still: The scan requires several minutes lying flat on your back with the legs positioned in a support. Severe pain, contractures or breathing difficulty when flat should be mentioned so positioning can be adapted.

When a DEXA is ordered

Osteoporosis screening after menopause, or from age 65
Men from age 70, or younger with risk factors
A fracture sustained after a fall from standing height or less
Long-term steroid, anti-epileptic or hormone-blocking therapy
Early or surgical menopause
Loss of height or a new thoracic stoop
Monitoring the response to osteoporosis treatment
Conditions causing malabsorption, such as coeliac disease

Contrast and preparation

No contrast, no injection, and nothing to drink or swallow. In fact the reverse applies — recent contrast from another test is the main thing that will invalidate this scan, so the preparation is about what must have cleared rather than what must be given.

What your report will cover

The report gives the bone mineral density in g/cm² for each site measured, the corresponding T-score and Z-score, the WHO category the T-score falls into, and the percentage change from any previous scan performed on the same machine. Many reports also comment on technical limitations — excluded vertebrae, artefacts — and some include a calculated ten-year fracture risk.

How it works

The path from booking to results

Book in the app

Choose your tests, pick a slot that works, and pay when it suits you.

We come to you

A phlebotomist visits home at your chosen time — or drop by a partner lab instead.

Processed at an NABL lab

Every sample is handled at one of our accredited labs, tracked end to end.

Report + doctor review

Your digital report lands with a complimentary read-through from a doctor.

Book a DEXA scan in Pune

All assessments

DEXA Bone Density (Spine + Hip)

DEXA — what it shows, and who it is not for