A patient has a T-score of -2.8. This finding indicates which condition?

• A. Fracture, Weak, porous bone tissue
• B. Osteoporosis
• C. Osteopenia
• D. Osteoarthritis

Answer: (A)

A T-score from a DEXA scan shows how your bone mineral density compares with that of a healthy young adult. Normal density is around -1.0 or higher. Osteopenia, a mild loss, falls between -1.0 and -2.5. Osteoporosis is defined as -2.5 or lower. A T-score of -2.8 is well into the osteoporosis range, indicating significantly reduced bone density and a higher risk of fractures. That’s why this finding points to osteoporosis.

Osteopenia would not be as severe because the score would be less negative. Osteoarthritis is joint degeneration and isn’t diagnosed by a T-score. The descriptor “frankly fracture-prone, porous bone tissue” describes the state you’d expect with osteoporosis, but the formal diagnosis based on the score is osteoporosis.