The University of South Alabama recently announced the addition of a new bone density machine to its Center for Women’s Health, allowing physicians to provide the best technology available for bone density assessment.According to Dr. Peter Rizk, a reproductive endocrinologist with the USA Physicians Group, about 20 million women in the U.S. suffer from low bone density, known as osteopenia or osteoporosis, and the numbers are growing.
“Osteoporosis is a silent disease,” said Dr. Rizk, who is also a professor in the OB-GYN department at the USA College of Medicine. “It may not cause any symptoms until an acute fracture in the femur or vertebra occurs.”
Dr. Rizk stresses the importance of a bone density evaluation before symptoms, like fractures, begin occurring. He also notes that women with specific hormonal concerns may even need a bone density scan before the onset of menopause.
The benefits of the new bone density machine are available to a wide array of referring USA physicians and span beyond the diagnosis and monitoring of osteoporosis. Endocrinologists and internists are just a couple of the disciplines that have benefitted from utilizing the machine at the Center for Women’s Health.
“With the new technology, we can now send an image of the particular lumbar fractured vertebrae to the treating physicians,” said Dr. Rizk. “This imaging is particularly helpful in situations where three of four vertebrae are normal and one is fractured.”
According to Danny Rickert, practice director for the USA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, patients benefit by having easy access to this new technology. “We’ve increased availability in order to meet the demands of any referring doctors and to provide next day service for patients.”
For more information on bone density testing, talk with your primary care physician.
