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Introduction

Bones are made up of connective tissue, cells and minerals like calcium.  Bone density is the amount of mineral in the bone tissue. Bones that have more minerals are denser and stronger. Bones that have less minerals are less dense and can break more easily. 

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become less dense, weak, and brittle. Osteoporosis happens when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more quickly than they replace them. 

It can also happen in children and adolescents if the amount of minerals in the bone does not increase at the normal rate.  

A peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scan is used to help diagnose osteoporosis. It measures the size, shape, and density of the arm and leg bones. 

Your child can eat and drink as usual before the scan.

Let your child’s treatment team know before the appointment if they have:

• a plaster cast
• another medical imaging study booked that uses contrast, like an MRI or CT scan.

These factors can affect the bone density measurements, so the scan may need to be rescheduled.

Your child must remove any thick or metallic objects from around their arms or legs, including jewellery and clothing with metal eyelets, clips or zippers.  

Generally, the steps of the scan are:

1.  your child will sit on a chair
2. they will place their arm or leg into the small, doughnut-shaped scanner
3. the scanner will move slowly around the arm or leg, taking thousands of measurements.

You can leave once the results are checked by a nuclear medicine scientist or doctor.

The results will be sent to your child’s doctor within a couple of days. You will need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your child’s doctor to discuss the results.