How is osteoporosis diagnosed? There are several methods currently used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. One method is X-ray examination, which usually only detects severe cases of osteoporosis and also depends on the amount of radiation used, making it seldom used in clinical settings. Another method is ultrasound testing, referred to as ultrasound bone density testing. It typically examines areas like the heel or the wrist. However, ultrasound bone density can have significant inaccuracies, so it is used more as a screening tool rather than for precise diagnosis. The third method is a bone density scanner. This is currently the simplest and most effective method to diagnose osteoporosis. It involves measuring the Relative Vertebral Density (RVD), where a normal value of 1 indicates that the vertebral body density is higher than that of the intervertebral disc. An RVD value of 0 indicates that the vertebral body density is the same as the intervertebral disc density, which signifies osteoporosis. If the RVD is less than 0, it shows that the vertebral body density is less than that of the intervertebral disc, pointing to severe osteoporosis. The bone density scanning method is very straightforward. The patient simply places a foot or arm inside the machine, and the computer quickly provides the bone density measurement, which is more accurate and cost-effective compared to other diagnostic methods.