Chattanooga, Tenn. — Parkridge Health System recently installed the GE Lunar Prodigy P10 Full-size Bone Densitometer, a state-of-the-art bone densitometry system, at Parkridge East Hospital. This leading-edge diagnostic tool brings the latest technology to bear in the fight against osteoporosis.
The GE Lunar Prodigy features top-quality dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry assessment delivered with exceptional precision, which allows clinicians to take images of the spine, femur and whole body while reducing the amount of radiation to which a patient is exposed.
The bone densitometer's native Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) permits a high degree of customization, which facilitates more accurate determinations of a patient's risk for sustaining a fracture in the next 10 years.
"The GE Lunar Prodigy incorporates patient information, such as age, medication and medical history into a bone density scan and quickly calculates the FRAX score," said Trey Carr, MD, director of Medical Imaging at Parkridge Health. "The assessment breaks down the risks into categories — which include the risk for hip fracture, which is the most debilitating fracture osteoporotic patients suffer — and major osteoporotic fracture."
Osteoporosis is a common condition, affecting approximately 54 million Americans, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Not only does the GE Lunar Prodigy equip clinicians to identify patients at risk of osteoporosis, but it also helps physicians assess the efficacy of treatments prescribed for patients diagnosed with the condition.
For example, a physician may recommend a regimen consisting of calcium and Vitamin D supplements, but a bone densitometry scan may reveal that alternative therapies leveraging more active agents designed to redeposit bone and calcium would be a more effective treatment for the patient, Dr. Carr noted.
"The introduction of this device underscores Parkridge Health's commitment to providing the highest levels of treatment throughout the care continuum, from diagnosis through disease management," said Keith Davis, market director of imaging at Parkridge Health System. "This technology allows us to offer the full gamut of bone densitometry capabilities, ranging from routine skeletal health assessments to advanced skeletal and metabolic health assessments."