I help women over 50 exercise to prevent unnecessary bone loss, prevent falls that fracture, and stay fearlessly active with their friends and families for years to come.
What is the TBS score on my DEXA scan?
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Hi Reader, Last week, I reviewed what the T-score from your DEXA scan tells you. This week, I want to talk about your TBS score. The TBS score is your Trabecular Bone Score. It is calculated from the same measurements taken during your DEXA scan. The TBS measures the inner bone quality. The scores tell you how your inner bone, the trabecular bone, is connected. This differs from a T-score, which measures your bone density, or the quanitity. When you see your TBS scores on your report, you will most likely see a list. The scores typically do not have a reference, so you can use the following numbers to determine where your numbers align. If your TBS numbers are all above 1.357, your TBS score will be considered of good quality. Your future fracture risk is therefore reduced. If your TBS numbers are below 1.287, your future risk of fracture will increase.
Here's the thing: You can have T-scores that place you in the osteopenia or osteoporosis range, but have normal or good TBS scores. The two measurements, T-scores and TBS scores, are independent of one another. You need to look at both to get a more complete picture of your bone health. One more piece of information: Not all DEXA reports have a TBS. When scheduling your next DEXA scan, be sure to ask if you will also receive a TBS measurement. If they say they don't provide this score, try to schedule your DEXA scan at a different location. It is really good information to have. I hope you have found this useful. I go over this and so much more with my Strong Women, Strong Bones members. Be sure to get on the waitlist for my fall cohort. I look forward to helping you stay strong for years to come. Next up, I will go over the FRAX tool and how it is used to help assess your risk of fracture. See you next week,
📌 Join the waitlist for my Strong Women, Strong Bones program. Don't miss out when I announce the fall dates. 📌 PS —All of my online classes are listed here.
The information provided is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical or physical therapy advice to any individual. Please consult with your physician before starting any new exercise program. Any exercise has the potential to cause injury or physical problems. |
Hi! I'm a Andrea Trombley PT, DPT
I help women over 50 exercise to prevent unnecessary bone loss, prevent falls that fracture, and stay fearlessly active with their friends and families for years to come.
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Hi Reader, If you are new here, welcome! Last week, I sent an email with the results of my DEXA scan T-scores . This week, I want to take a closer look at another part of the report. It may be part of your DEXA report as well. Let's look at and interpret the TBS scores. What is TBS?TBS stands for trabecular bone score. It is a way to assess the quality of your bone structure, not just the density. The T-score tells us about the density of our bone, but the TBS numbers provide insight into the...