A DEXA scan is one of the most widely used technologies for measuring bone mineral density, assessing osteoporosis and fracture risk, and analyzing body composition. As healthcare organizations look for more comprehensive ways to evaluate bone, muscle, and body fat, DEXA scanning continues to evolve beyond traditional bone density testing.
GE HealthCare’s Lunar Astra represents the new generation of DEXA scan technology, combining advanced bone density testing and body composition analysis in a platform designed to support clinical confidence, efficient workflows, and a more complete understanding of patient health.
What Is a DEXA Scan?
A DEXA scan, also known as a DXA scan or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, is an imaging examination commonly used to measure bone mineral density (BMD). DEXA bone density scans can help healthcare professionals assess bone health, identify low bone density, evaluate osteoporosis, and better understand a patient's potential fracture risk.
With advanced systems such as GE HealthCare Lunar Astra, DEXA technology can also extend beyond bone density to provide valuable information about lean muscle mass, fat tissue, and overall body composition.
Lunar Astra: A New Generation of DEXA Scan Technology
The Lunar Astra DEXA scan system builds on GE HealthCare's experience in bone densitometry while introducing technology designed for today's imaging environments.
Lunar Astra can provide bone mineral density measurements across key anatomical areas, including the spine, femur, total body, and forearm. These measurements can help clinicians assess bone health and support the diagnosis and management of conditions such as osteoporosis.
The system can also support relative fracture-risk assessment using T-scores and 10-year fracture risk through the FRAX model, helping healthcare professionals interpret DEXA scan results within a broader clinical context.
DEXA Scan for Bone Density and Osteoporosis Assessment
One of the primary reasons healthcare providers use a DEXA bone density scan is to evaluate bone strength and identify changes in bone mineral density.
Bone density can decline with age and other risk factors, potentially increasing the likelihood of osteoporosis and fractures. A DEXA scan provides quantitative measurements that healthcare professionals can use alongside a patient's medical history and other clinical information.
With Lunar Astra, healthcare organizations can perform DEXA bone density assessments while gaining access to additional applications that can expand the clinical value of the imaging platform.
DEXA Scan for Body Composition Analysis
Modern DEXA technology can provide much more than a traditional bone density test. With optional applications, the Lunar Astra DEXA scanner can provide regional and whole-body measurements of bone mineral density, lean tissue mass, and fat tissue mass.
This makes DEXA body composition analysis potentially useful when evaluating areas such as healthy aging, muscle mass, fat distribution, sarcopenia, obesity, and metabolic health.
Depending on the software configuration, Lunar Astra can support capabilities including:
- Bone mineral density (BMD) testing for evaluating bone health
- Body composition analysis to measure lean and fat tissue
- Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) estimation for additional insight into fat distribution
- Sarcopenia assessment using measured appendicular lean mass and relevant patient information
- Pediatric assessment for bone mineral content, bone mineral density, and body composition
- Fracture-risk assessment to complement bone mineral density measurements
- Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) as a complement to DEXA analysis and clinical evaluation
- Orthopedic and atypical femur fracture applications for specialized assessments
These capabilities can help transform the DEXA scan from a traditional bone density test into a more comprehensive imaging platform for assessing bone, muscle, and body composition.
Advanced DEXA Scanning Designed for Efficient Workflows
The clinical capabilities of a DEXA scanner are only part of the equation. Healthcare organizations also need technology that can fit efficiently into everyday imaging workflows.
Lunar Astra introduces several hardware and workflow enhancements designed to support efficient DEXA scanning. Its daily quality-assurance block is integrated into the system rather than requiring an external QA block, helping streamline routine operation.
The system also includes controls at the scanner for functions such as Home and Stop, allowing operators to perform more actions directly at the device.
For standard-mode examinations, GE HealthCare reports scan times of approximately 28 seconds for AP spine, 28 seconds for femur, and 225 seconds for total body.
The Lunar Astra DEXA scanner table can accommodate patients weighing up to 525 pounds, while its scan window measures approximately 67 × 198 cm. This expanded capacity can help healthcare organizations accommodate a broader range of patients.
DEXA Scan for a More Complete View of Patient Health
Bone density is an important part of healthy aging, but it is only one component of musculoskeletal and metabolic health.
Healthcare professionals are increasingly interested in the relationship between bone mass, muscle mass, and adipose tissue. Declining bone mass may contribute to fracture risk, while changes in muscle mass can affect strength and mobility. Fat distribution can provide additional information when evaluating body composition and metabolic health.
An advanced DEXA scan with Lunar Astra provides an opportunity to evaluate multiple aspects of body composition through a single imaging platform.
For healthcare organizations, this can create opportunities to expand DEXA services beyond traditional osteoporosis screening into programs focused on bone health, body composition, healthy aging, sarcopenia, musculoskeletal health, and metabolic wellness.
Why Choose Lunar Astra for DEXA Scanning?
Healthcare organizations evaluating a new DEXA scanner increasingly need to consider more than the number of bone density examinations they can perform. The broader question is how much clinically useful information the platform can provide while supporting an efficient patient and technologist experience.
GE HealthCare Lunar Astra represents a new generation of DEXA scan technology, bringing together bone mineral density testing, fracture-risk assessment, body composition analysis, and advanced clinical applications within one platform.
For hospitals, imaging centers, medical practices, and healthcare organizations looking to upgrade their DEXA scanner or add DEXA scanning services, Lunar Astra provides a modern approach to bone density and body composition assessment designed around the evolving needs of patients and clinicians.
Explore the Next Generation of DEXA Scan Technology
From bone density testing and osteoporosis assessment to body composition and muscle mass analysis, DEXA scanning can provide valuable information across multiple areas of patient health.
With Lunar Astra, GE HealthCare brings these capabilities together in an advanced DEXA platform designed to expand what healthcare organizations can accomplish with bone densitometry and body composition imaging.
Discover how Lunar Astra can help bring the next generation of DEXA scanning to your healthcare organization.
Clinical applications and optional features may vary by configuration and market. Healthcare professionals should refer to applicable GE HealthCare product documentation and local regulatory indications before clinical use.