Why is it that some people with very high scores on the DEXA never break anything yet those on low scores sometimes do. Isn’t there more than bone density we should be testing?
Hi, Warrior,
Welcome to the community - I’ve only recently joined too!
I’m interested in your question because this is exactly what’s happened with me. I have had 4 Dexa scans, the first in 2019 and the most recent in December 2025. Throughout, my diagnosis has remained as Osteopenia although I’m being treated as if I have Osteoporosis.
However, vertebral osteoporosis was confirmed in 2019 in T5 & T7 following fractures . An Xray report in February 2026 confirmed a compression fracture at T10.
So Dexa shows Osteopenia but I’m being treated with Alendronic Acid and Colecalciferol for Osteoporosis.
At one stage, my case was forwarded to a rheumatologist who commented '‘this shows the limitations of Dexa scans”!
SO why can’t we move on from them? Bone has many qualities.
That’s why they do a FRAX fracture risk score too, which takes into account other factors that affect bone health (for example specific medications and illnesses). But I find it very frustrating that the NHS won’t recognise the newer REMS technology, which also gives a measure of bone strength, not just bone density. REMS scans have been shown to be comparable to DEXA scans when both are done properly, with the added advantage that REMS is more fully automated so less open to error.
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Hi, just joined. I have t scores which put me in osteopenia but have a frax score which means I am being treated as osteoporosis. I am going to get a REMs scan on Thursday to get an accurate fragility score. I had a wrist fracture in August.
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