What is Trabecular Bone Score (TBS)?
Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) is a valuable tool used in bone health assessment alongside Bone Mineral Density (BMD) testing. BMD testing is a non-invasive procedure used to measure the strength and density of your bones. TBS provides crucial additional information about the microarchitecture of your bones, offering a more comprehensive understanding of bone strength and fracture risk.
Why is TBS important
Imagine your bones as a house. BMD is like the bricks that make up the foundation of the house. They provide strength and structure, much like how BMD indicates the density of your bones.
Now, think of TBS as the mortar between those bricks. Even if you have plenty of strong bricks (high BMD), without sturdy mortar (good TBS), the structure isn’t as stable. TBS measures the quality of the bone structure, including how well the bone is interconnected, much like how mortar holds bricks together in a solid structure.
Why do you need TBS?
- Enhanced bone health assessment: TBS complements BMD testing by providing insights into the quality of your bone structure. This allows healthcare providers to better assess your overall bone health and fracture risk.
- Identifying hidden risks: BMD testing doesn’t capture all factors influencing bone strength. TBS helps identify hidden risks by evaluating the microarchitecture of bones, even when BMD results appear normal.
- Personalized treatment planning: by incorporating TBS results into bone health assessments, healthcare providers can develop personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs.
- Early detection of osteoporosis: TBS can detect bone fragility earlier than traditional BMD testing alone, allowing for early intervention and prevention of osteoporosis-related fractures.
How does TBS testing work?
- Preparation: you’ll be asked to lie down on a DXA machine, usually on your back, while a technician positions you for the test.
- Scanning: the technician will then scan your spine. This machine emits low levels of X-rays as it passes over your body, capturing images of your spine.
- Analysis: our software installed on the DXA machine analyzes these images to assess the microarchitecture of the bones in your spine.
- TBS Calculation: based on the analysis of the images, a Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) value is calculated.
- Interpretation: your healthcare provider will interpret the TBS value alongside other factors such as Bone Mineral Density (BMD) to assess your overall bone health and fracture risk.
- Discussion: your healthcare provider will discuss the results of the TBS test with you, explaining what they mean for your bone health and any necessary next steps or treatments.
