Identification of patients at risk of osteoporosis should be guided by national guidance (refer to links below) and, in special situations where knowledge of bone density will change medical management, eg hyperparathyroidism. See Osteoporosis guidance.

As a general principle, all patients being considered for treatment should have undergone a DXA scan. The exceptions to this would be patients over 65 years on maintenance steroids or low trauma fracture patients considered too frail to attend for DXA.

Useful links: