US Medical Term · tests
DEXA Scan (Bone Density Scan)
Densitometría Ósea (DEXA)
What it means
A DEXA scan is a procedure that measures the amount of calcium and other minerals in a bone by passing x-rays with two different energy levels through the bone. It shows the strength and thickness of a bone, and the National Cancer Institute lists dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and DXA among its other names. MedlinePlus calls the same test a bone density scan and describes it as a low-dose x-ray. A DEXA scan is used to diagnose osteoporosis, to see how well osteoporosis treatments are working, and to predict how likely the bones are to break. During a central DEXA scan, the person lies on a padded table while the arm of the scanning machine passes over the hips and spine. The test usually takes 10 to 30 minutes.
DEXA Scan (Bone Density Scan) in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Densitometría Ósea (DEXA)
- Gender and article
- feminine: la densitometría ósea
- Pronunciation
- dehn-see-toh-meh-TREE-ah OH-seh-ah
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| prueba DEXA | General | First of the names MedlinePlus en español gives after "también conocida como" in its definition of densitometría ósea. |
| DXA | General | Shorter abbreviation given by both MedlinePlus en español and the Spanish dictionary of the National Cancer Institute. |
| absorciometría de rayos X de energía dual | General | Spelled-out name; the Spanish dictionary of the National Cancer Institute follows it with the abbreviation DEXA in parentheses. |
MedlinePlus en español titles its page Densitometría ósea and says the test is also known as prueba DEXA, DXA or prueba de densidad ósea. None of the cited pages prints the headword in the exact form "densitometría ósea (DEXA)"; they print densitometría ósea and DEXA separately. The noun is feminine: una densitometría ósea. The Real Academia Española dictionary enters densitometría with a sense marked Med.: its application to determine the calcium content of the bones. The Spanish dictionary of the National Cancer Institute enters the test under DEXA and spells the name out as absorciometría de rayos X de energía dual.
Words from the Spanish test page: densidad ósea (bone density), osteopenia, osteoporosis, fracturas (fractures, glossed there as huesos rotos), mesa acolchada (padded table), radiación (radiation), suplementos de calcio (calcium supplements), puntuaciones T and puntuaciones Z (T-scores and Z-scores), and the two kinds of scan, DEXA central and DEXA periférica (p-DEXA).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | I am going to order a bone density scan, also called a DEXA scan. | Voy a pedirle una densitometría ósea, también llamada prueba DEXA. |
| Patient | What does the test measure? | ¿Qué mide la prueba? |
| Clinician | It is a low-dose X-ray that measures the calcium and other minerals in your bones. | Es una radiografía de dosis baja que mide el calcio y otros minerales en los huesos. |
| Patient | Do I need to do anything to prepare for the test? | ¿Debo hacer algo para prepararme para la prueba? |
| Clinician | Are you taking calcium supplements? Is there any chance that you are pregnant? | ¿Toma suplementos de calcio? ¿Hay alguna posibilidad de que esté embarazada? |
| Clinician | Please lie on your back on the table and do not move. | Por favor, acuéstese de espaldas en la mesa y no se mueva. |
| Patient | My mother had osteoporosis and broke her hip. | Mi madre tuvo osteoporosis y se fracturó la cadera. |
| Patient | What does my T-score mean? | ¿Qué significa mi puntuación T? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | DEXA Scan (Bone Density Scan) |
| Spanish (Español) | Densitometría Ósea (DEXA) |
| Chinese (中文) | 雙能量X光骨密度測量（DEXA） |
| Korean (한국어) | DEXA 스캔 (골밀도 검사) |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Đo mật độ xương DEXA |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | DEXA Scan |
| Portuguese (Português) | Densitometria Óssea (DEXA) |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การตรวจความหนาแน่นของกระดูก (DEXA) |
| Japanese (日本語) | 骨密度検査（DEXAスキャン） |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines
All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos
Sources
- Bone Density Scan — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Densitometría ósea — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- DEXA scan — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- DEXA — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- densitometría — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española (RAE) – ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026