How do you read a bone density x-ray?

There are values: You dont read it like a normal x ray but there are values attached to the scan that we use to determine the amount of bone loss.

Compare to others: Bone mineral density results are interpreted by comparing your density either to that of persons the same age, sex, and race as you (a z-score) or to persons of the same sex and race at peak bone density (young adult t-score). Adult definitions of osteopenia and osteoporosis are based on t-score results, with osteoporosis at a t-score of -2.5. For children z-scores are the only appropriate value.

T-score is: the number of standard deviations from the mean that your bone density is, compared to young adults. A positive number means higher than average density, a negative number is lower. By definition, osteopenia is a T score less than -1.0, but greater than -2.5. Osteoporosis is a T score of -2.5 or less. Z-score compares your density to the mean of women your age.