So those dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone scans that CMS likes to deny 12% of the time, aren’t very effective at detecting fracture risk, a new study says.
 
The study, published by Framingham Heart Study, looked at over 800 men and women who were screened for osteoporosis in the 1980’s and again in the 1990’s, with little to no marked difference in bone density.
 
But here’s the kicker, the scans only picked up patients at the most risk for a hip fracture 4% of the time. And those echo the Journal of the American Medical Association’s study released earlier this month.
 
Despite the dismal results, the DEXA bone density scan is the industry’s main means of osteoporosis detection, which may call for providers to slightly shift focus to prevention, such as with calcium supplements and weight-bearing exercise.