DEXA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the DEXA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 DEXA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 DEXA Topics to Study (37)
✍️ Sample DEXA Questions & Answers
1. Which anabolic agent used for osteoporosis treatment stimulates new bone formation by mimicking parathyroid hormone?
Teriparatide is a recombinant PTH(1-34) analog that activates osteoblasts to build new bone, making it an anabolic (bone-building) therapy.
2. Denosumab (Prolia) reduces bone resorption by inhibiting which signaling molecule?
Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds and neutralizes RANKL, blocking osteoclast differentiation and activity.
3. A patient with a pacemaker reports for a DEXA scan. How should the technologist proceed?
DEXA uses very low-dose X-rays with no electromagnetic fields that would interfere with pacemaker function, so the scan can proceed normally.
4. Which biochemical marker is primarily used as an index of bone resorption activity in clinical practice?
CTX (C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen) is released into circulation during osteoclastic bone resorption and is a standard resorption biomarker.
5. Which Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) category indicates degraded microarchitecture on a DEXA report?
A TBS below 1.200 is classified as degraded bone microarchitecture, while 1.200–1.350 is partially degraded and above 1.350 is normal.
6. Which DEXA QA action should be performed if the daily phantom scan image shows unusual artifacts or distortion?
Imaging artifacts may indicate detector malfunction; patient scanning must stop until the system is inspected and cleared.