DXA scan

Measuring bone density

Bone density is measured using a DXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan.

You will be asked to lie on a bed and stay still while the scanner, a kind of X-ray machine, moves over the different parts of your body being scanned. The procedure is painless and will take approximately 15 minutes.

Photo credit: Nick Smith photography - ALSPAC web site, CC BY-SA 3.0