Posts by Laura Wilson3

Nicholas Myers said:Hello,

Densitometry T-scores can vary between the lumbar region and the hip region. In this instance, there isn't a significant discrepancy because, according to the scan, both the lumbar and hip regions fall into the same category: osteopenia (a T-score between -1.0 and -2.5). However, even if the T-score is higher than -2.5 (meaning less negative), we can still discuss osteoporosis if an atraumatic spinal fracture occurs. There are many reasons why T-scores fluctuate between the hips and the lumbar spine, but such variation is quite common, provided the differences between regions don't jump across entirely different diagnostic categories (for example, a normal T-score in one area and a pathological one in another).

Hi, my hip T-score is -0.5, which is normal, but my lumbar T-score is -1.2, with my L1 score specifically sitting at -2.3. Since I previously had a fracture at the T8 level—which I first felt as a mild ache while driving, though it eventually worsened—and considering I had some rib pain in that same area about five months prior when moving a bed (though it wasn't the spine itself that hurt), I'm wondering if it's possible to have osteoporosis localized just in the thoracic region, where the densitometry doesn't provide a clear picture.
Based on blood work, my Vitamin D is 88, calcium is slightly elevated at 2.6, and my tumor markers, PSA, and PTH are all normal, though my wife's sexual hormone levels are elevated.

#166
Laura Wilson3
Registered User

Joined data: Sep 2021.
Posts: 1
Compression fracture in my spine
Hi everyone, I’m 53 years old and, honestly, I used to be in great shape. Then things went downhill—I dealt with COVID, a severe herniated disc, surgery, and an ulcer. To top it all off, while driving back from a spa retreat, I ended up with a compression fracture at the T8 level of my spine. I tried taking some supplements—about 0.5 units of calcium, magnesium, and D3—hoping to speed up the healing process. I had blood work done and everything seemed fine, though my calcium was slightly elevated at 2.62. Two weeks later, after checking my thyroid levels, the calcium was still a bit high at 2.68. When I got an MRI, the doctor noted it looked like an older trauma. I’m a bit confused because I don't recall any falls in the last three years, and I hadn't felt any pain in that specific spot until I got home from the spa. A bone density scan showed my hips are normal, but my spine shows osteopenia with a T-score of -1.2, and my L1 vertebra is at -2.3. My question is, is it actually possible for my hips to be fine, while I have osteopenia in the lumbar region and osteoporosis in the thoracic area, especially since the fracture happened while I was just sitting down?