Keeping the skeleton strong and healthy is a complex process. The amount, structure, composition, and position of the bones should all be correct. Any errors or changes in these can lead to bone disease. This article discusses the various causes of bone disease in humans.
In addition to the individual reporting of occupational doses, the conditions under which workers are exposed to radiation are also monitored with workplace records. Sometimes workplace records must be relied upon to estimate individual doses when a particular employee’s occupational radiation dose record is not available. Workplace records are useful in assessing the effectiveness of the radiation safety program at a facility.
DXA is the most commonly used machine for BMD measurement. It is more common than other modalities such as QCT in osteoporotic patients. X-ray techs need at least a basic knowledge of DXA results interpretation. DXA results are expressed by two numbers known as T-score and Z-score.
In this article we give a brief overview of some of the factors that affect bone health in children and adolescents. The period of life from birth to adolescence is vital in terms of building a healthy skeleton. It is also important in terms of developing habits that aid in keeping bones strong and healthy. These habits can help maintain robust bone health through the individual’s adult and older years.
Radiologic technologists play an important role in communicating radiation risk to patients. To this end, they must establish a rapport with the patient. One of the major challenges of risk communication is the difference in risk perception by healthcare professionals and the general public. To effectively communicate the risks and benefits of radiation exposure, radiographers need to understand this difference themselves. It is also important to remember that the general public may have obtained information from non-technical sources such as newspapers, magazines, TV shows, and Internet sites. Moreover, the layperson is prone to give equal importance to information from unverified sources and scientific bodies.
The importance of DXA is underscored by the fact that BMD is a strong independent predictor of an individual’s risk of sustaining fragility fractures. A clear relationship has been established in postmenopausal females between BMD results and the risk of osteoporotic fractures. For every standard deviation drop in DXA-calculated bone density (equivalent to a 10-12 percent bone loss in the spine), the individual’s fracture risk increases by up to 2.5 times. What are the advantages of DXA scan and how does it compare to other modalities used to measure bone density?