Patient guide · Bone-density imaging
DEXA scan, the fast, low-radiation gold-standard bone-density scan.
Menopause, a course of steroids, a fracture that felt too easy — these are the moments to know your bone density, not five years later. Ten minutes on an open couch at a London imaging centre gives you a hip and lumbar T‑score, a FRAX ten‑year fracture risk, and a plan you can take to your GP.
Key facts — DEXA at a glance
- 01
The UK gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis
A ten‑minute open‑couch scan that gives you a T‑score, a FRAX ten‑year fracture risk and the number NICE actually uses to decide on treatment.
- 02
Answer is a T-score plus FRAX
The report gives hip and lumbar-spine T-scores and a 10-year fracture-risk percentage from the Sheffield FRAX tool — the two numbers UK treatment decisions actually turn on.
- 03
T-score ≤ -2.5 defines osteoporosis
Your T-score compares your bone density to a healthy young adult. -1.0 to -2.5 is osteopenia; ≤ -2.5 is osteoporosis.
- 04
Very low radiation dose
A DEXA scan delivers roughly 0.001 mSv — about one-tenth of a single day’s natural background radiation.
- 05
Combined with FRAX for 10-year risk
Bone density is fed into the FRAX Sheffield algorithm to produce your 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture.
- 06
Repeat every 2–3 years to monitor
Follow-up DEXA on the same scanner tracks response to bisphosphonates, denosumab or HRT.
Indicative pricing
What a private DEXA scan costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our partner clinics. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A standard DEXA scan in our network: £150–£250, with the report usually within 24–48 hours.
| Scan type | Indicative range | Typical duration | Report turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard DEXA (hip + lumbar spine) | £150–£250 | 10 min | Same-day |
| DEXA + vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) | £200–£350 | 15 min | Same-day |
| DEXA + FRAX consultant review | £350–£600 | 45 min | Same visit |
| Follow-up DEXA (monitoring therapy) | £150–£250 | 10 min | Same-day |
| DEXA body composition (secondary use) | £180–£300 | 20 min | Same-day |
| Full osteoporosis work-up (DEXA + bloods + FRAX) | £500–£950 | Half-day | Same-week |
Prices vary by clinic, whether vertebral fracture assessment is added, and whether a same-visit consultant review is included. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
Why DEXA matters
A DEXA scan is only as good as who reports it.
The T-score is the answer — and the clinician interpreting it decides how it translates into a diagnosis, a FRAX-based risk figure, and the next step. We route you to a consultant radiologist or accredited densitometrist, not a generalist.
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Suspected osteoporosis?
We arrange a DEXA scan on a current-generation scanner and a FRAX-based report.
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On steroids or post-menopause?
We fold your risk factors into a rounded osteoporosis work-up, not just a scan number.
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Monitoring treatment?
Repeat DEXA on the same machine, so change reflects your bones — not scanner variability.
Preparation and the scan
From referral to report — what happens, in order.
One clinical thread from first message to report — usually within a week.
Phase 1 · Before your scan
Referral and preparation
Phase 2 · On the day
~10–15 minutes at the clinic
Phase 3 · After
Report and pathway
- 01
Before
Referral or self-referral
GP, rheumatology or endocrine referral — or self-refer through us. Bring any prior DEXA reports for comparison.
- 02
Before
No fasting required
Eat, drink and take medication as normal. Avoid calcium supplements on the morning of the scan.
- 03
Before
Wear metal-free clothing
Loose clothing without zips, buckles or metal buttons. A gown is provided if needed.
- 04
On the day
Lie on the scan bed
You lie flat on a padded table. The scanning arm passes above you — nothing touches or encloses you.
- 05
On the day
Hip and lumbar-spine scan
10 minutes total. Two short passes across the lumbar spine and one hip. Painless and open.
- 06
On the day
Vertebral fracture assessment
Optional lateral spine imaging (VFA) picks up silent vertebral fractures. Adds 2–3 minutes.
- 07
After
Report with T-score, Z-score, FRAX
Written report within 24–48 hours: bone density at each site, T-score, Z-score and FRAX 10-year fracture risk.
Typical end-to-end: 3–7 days. Urgent cases: same week.
What it shows
What a DEXA scan actually tells you.
DEXA answers a specific question — how strong are your bones, and what does that mean for your 10-year fracture risk. These are the findings we see most.
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Osteoporosis (T-score ≤ -2.5)
The formal WHO diagnostic threshold — treatment is usually indicated.
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Osteopenia (T-score -1.0 to -2.5)
Low bone mass, not yet osteoporosis — lifestyle change, sometimes drug therapy per FRAX.
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Vertebral compression fracture (on VFA)
Silent spinal fractures picked up on the lateral vertebral assessment.
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FRAX 10-year fracture risk
Your absolute 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture.
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Trabecular Bone Score (TBS)
A textural analysis of lumbar spine images that adds independent fracture-risk information.
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Response to treatment (repeat DEXA)
Serial scans on the same machine track whether bisphosphonates, denosumab or HRT are working.
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Body composition (secondary use)
Whole-body DEXA can quantify lean mass, fat mass and android/gynoid distribution.
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Red flag: severe osteoporosis + fragility fracture — urgent fracture-liaison referral
A T-score below -2.5 with a fresh fragility fracture needs same-week fracture-liaison-service input.
Next steps
What treatment looks like after DEXA.
What the options on your referral are actually for — from lifestyle to anabolic therapy and a follow-up scan.
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Lifestyle advice
Weight-bearing exercise, resistance training, calcium 1000 mg/day, vitamin D 800 IU/day, smoking cessation and alcohol moderation.
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Bisphosphonates
Oral alendronate/risedronate weekly, or intravenous zoledronate annually — first-line for most postmenopausal osteoporosis.
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Denosumab (Prolia)
Six-monthly subcutaneous injection. Useful when bisphosphonates are contraindicated or poorly tolerated.
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Anabolic therapy
Teriparatide or romosozumab for severe osteoporosis, multiple fractures, or failed antiresorptive therapy.
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HRT for menopausal women
Hormone replacement preserves bone density and reduces fracture risk in appropriately selected women.
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Falls-prevention programme
Balance and strength work, home hazard review, medication review — the other half of fracture prevention.
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Fracture-liaison service
A coordinated pathway after any fragility fracture — assessment, treatment and follow-up in one loop.
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Repeat DEXA in 2–3 years
Monitoring scan on the same machine, so change reflects biology rather than scanner variability.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of clinics, we picked them.
Partners across central, north, west and south London. Not listed publicly — introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every clinic in our network.
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Consultant radiologists or accredited bone-density technologists
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Current-generation DEXA scanners (Hologic or GE Lunar)
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Same-day report with T-score, Z-score and FRAX 10-year fracture risk
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Onward rheumatology, endocrine or fracture-liaison-service pathway when needed
Red flags and eligibility
When a DEXA scan should not wait.
DEXA itself is exceptionally safe — the practical points are which patients need to move faster than the standard pathway.
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Fragility fracture
Any low-trauma fracture in an adult over 50 warrants a DEXA and fracture-liaison-service review.
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Height loss > 4 cm
Progressive loss of height suggests occult vertebral fractures — add VFA to the scan.
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Steroid-induced osteoporosis
Prednisolone ≥ 7.5 mg/day for three months or more materially accelerates bone loss.
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Post-transplant bone disease
Solid-organ and stem-cell transplant recipients lose bone rapidly in the first year.
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Early menopause
Menopause before 45 (spontaneous or surgical) accelerates bone loss and warrants earlier DEXA.
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Hyperparathyroidism
Primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism preferentially depletes cortical bone at the hip.
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Chronic malabsorption
Coeliac disease, IBD or bariatric surgery impair calcium and vitamin D absorption.
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Concurrent multiple myeloma
Myeloma causes lytic lesions that mimic osteoporosis — the treating team must be involved.
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Bone marrow oedema on MRI
Marrow oedema on MRI can flag an acute vertebral fracture that needs urgent orthopaedic input.
Reading your report
A DEXA report can look intimidating. It isn’t.
Whatever the finding, the report keeps to the same four parts.
A quiet reminder
The report is written for your doctor, not for you — and that’s normal.
If you would like us to talk you through it before your follow-up, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and risk factors
Your details, the reason for the scan, and the risk factors that shape interpretation — steroids, menopause, prior fracture.
- 02 Technique
Scanner, sites and prior comparison
Which sites were scanned (hip, lumbar spine, forearm if hip is unusable), and whether a prior DEXA is available for comparison.
- 03 Findings
BMD, T-score, Z-score, TBS
Vertebra-by-vertebra and hip subregion bone mineral density, with T-score, Z-score and Trabecular Bone Score.
- 04 Impression
Diagnosis and FRAX-based recommendation
Normal, osteopenia or osteoporosis, with FRAX 10-year fracture risk and the concrete next step — read this first.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover depends on your policy and clinic; we confirm with your insurer before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about DEXA scans.
Quick answers on radiation, preparation, T-scores, FRAX, and how DEXA compares with Bindex.
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How soon can I get a private DEXA scan in London?
Most London imaging centres can fit you in within one to three working days, often on the same day if there’s been a recent fracture or you’re about to start bisphosphonates. The scan itself is ten minutes and the report — T‑score plus FRAX — is usually back the same day.
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How much radiation is in a DEXA scan?
About 0.001 mSv per scan — roughly one-tenth of the natural background radiation you receive on an average day, and a fraction of a chest X-ray. It is one of the lowest-dose imaging tests in medicine.
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Do I need to prepare for a DEXA scan?
No fasting is required. Eat and drink normally, and take your usual medication. Avoid calcium supplements on the morning of the scan, and wear loose clothing without metal zips or buttons — a gown is provided if needed.
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How often should I repeat a DEXA scan?
Usually every two to three years. On treatment, monitoring intervals of two years are typical. Repeat scans should be performed on the same scanner where possible, because small differences between machines can look like real change.
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DEXA scan vs Bindex bone density — which should I have?
DEXA is the gold standard and the test guidelines are written against. Bindex is a portable ultrasound-based estimate of central bone density that can be useful for screening in primary care, but it does not replace DEXA for formal diagnosis or monitoring of osteoporosis.
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What is FRAX and why does it matter?
FRAX is the University of Sheffield algorithm that combines your bone density with clinical risk factors (age, sex, prior fracture, steroids, smoking, alcohol) to give a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture. Treatment decisions in the UK are made on FRAX plus DEXA, not DEXA alone.
Sources
The guidance behind this page.
- Royal Osteoporosis Society. Clinical guidance on DEXA and osteoporosis management.
- NICE. Bisphosphonates for treating osteoporosis (TA464).
- International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Official positions on DEXA.
- FRAX Fracture Risk Assessment Tool — University of Sheffield.
Published 2026-07-30. Reviewed 2026-07-30. Next review 2027-07-30. Reading time ~5 minutes. Reviewed by Pulse Atlas Editorial Board, .
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In practice, in London
What dexa scan looks like on the ground in London
With DEXA scan, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it — not whether the scan is available. Public provision for dexa scan is competent but constrained by capacity. Private London clinics tend to have shorter diaries and longer appointment slots, so you get the same specialists with more time. For people who’ve been going round in circles with primary care, that first proper conversation is often what shifts things.
The mechanics are straightforward: a consultant appointment, any tests done at a nearby CQC-registered site, and a written report back within a few days. London’s density of private diagnostics — Marylebone, the City, Chelsea, Canary Wharf — means most patients can find something that fits around work without a cross-town trek. For DEXA scan specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.
Where a good concierge earns its keep is in the matching. There are dozens of consultants in London who see dexa scan — but not all of them are the right fit for every case. We narrow it down based on subspecialty, insurer coverage, the specific question being asked, and whether continuity into treatment matters. The right first appointment saves you from repeating yourself later.
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