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Bone Density (QCT)

QCT is a fast, non-invasive bone mineral density (BMD) exam performed on a CT scanner. It allows us to look for low bone mass and monitor the effects of bone mass therapy in patients undergoing treatment. 

While you are exposed to radiation during a CT exam, the benefits of CT typically outweigh the long-term risks.

A bone density test should be considered:

  • If you’re postmenopausal and at risk of osteoporosis
  • To assess your response to osteoporosis medications
  • If you have a condition called “primary hyperparathyroidism”
  • If you have certain spinal abnormalities that might indicate a fracture
  • If you’re on long-term corticosteroid therapy, such as Prednisone
  • If you have had a history of fractures caused by Osteoporosis

What To Expect

  • The technologist will help position you onto the scanner table.
  • Once you are comfortably positioned, the technologist will go out of the room to run the scanner from a computer located directly next to the scanner suite, visible through the viewing window. The technologist will communicate with you throughout the exam and check to see how you are doing.
  • During the exam, both your spine and hip are scanned, as bone mineralization is not uniform throughout your body. 
  • QCT is unique in that it can isolate the soft bone in the spine for analysis. The soft bone (trabecular bone) is affected earlier than the hard bone (Cortical bone), so QCT is likely to detect low bone mass earlier than other bone mineral density exams.