Health Information
Bone Mineral Density
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the bone mineral density (BMD) test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- Inability to be correctly positioned during the test.
- Having a broken bone in the past. This can cause falsely high BMD results.
- Reference Arthritis Opens New Window of your spine. In this case, the changes caused by arthritis in the spine may not make the spine the best place to measure for osteoporosis.
- Metal implants from hip replacement surgery or hip fracture.
- Having an X-ray test that uses Reference barium Opens New Window within 10 days of the BMD test.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference August 30, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Carla J. Herman, MD, MPH - Geriatric Medicine |
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