1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

REMS (Echolight) Scan - anyone?

Posted by andreamayo @andreamayo, May 12, 2024

I would love to hear from anyone that has had a REMS (Echolight) scan and how you feel the results compared to your DEXA?
I'm considering booking one in Toronto as I cannot find a clinic in Vancouver. I'm doubting my DEXA because my average spine is apparently -3.7 with my L4 vertebrae at -4.3. Hips are -2.8.
I'm 56 years old, I haven't fractured, pain free and I'm very active but these scores are scary and I'm considering changing my lifestyle because of them. Can I still jump off our sailboat when docking? Ski? Paddleboard? I've heard of people fracturing turning to look at something with scores like mine, or fracturing when sneezing. YIKES! I am so very afraid to fall.
To be truthful, I want the REMS to tell me my bones are strong and then I will worry less. I hope it's not a case of "be careful what you ask for".
I have met a friend in this discussion group that had a REMS recently and I'm most grateful that she shared her experience with me. I look forward to hearing more.
Thank you in advance from anyone that has had a REMS scan and hopefully the discussion will stay on topic. 🙂

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

solstice | @solstice | May 9 6:48pm
In reply to @meganmlott "Just had echolight R.E.M.S. done at Central Carolina Orthopaedics last week. I highly recommend Dr. Bush...." + (show)
@meganmlott

Just had echolight R.E.M.S. done at Central Carolina Orthopaedics last week. I highly recommend Dr. Bush. The BMD without technician errors (incorrect area of interest, bad positioning) and without influence of osteoarthritis and bone spurs or curvature of spine or my low weight 120 pounds was well worth the cost and travel time. Not to mention R.E.M.S. superior ability to predict fracture compared to Dexa…made it a go to for me. I still have low BMD however this is not the best predictor of fracture or bone strength. I was ready to begin Tymlos and now have been advised against it because of fragility scores in the green. WHO said I had high risk of fracture according to T scores, not true! Next I have found a reliable Dexa with TBS in Raleigh NC that will give additional bone quality info so I will post after that. Look at latest research on R.E.M.S.! The Dexa doesn’t give the whole picture on bone strength. Soon the R.E.M.S. will tell about muscle sarcopenia too. The bone and muscle are a unit. Build muscle and the bones will strengthen. Keith McCormick’s Great Bones book has chapter on Dexa and you tube videos on Dexa errors helped me want to know more before getting on the medicine train! I recommend quality Dexa, getting print out with color images so you too can see more than the T scores. Preferably find a Dexa with TBS or echolight R.E.M.S. so you get information on bone quality and strength. Good luck everyone. My heart is with you. The new technologies will help all of us.

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Hello, I'm wondering if you ever had the Dexa with TBS and if the results were similar to the REMS Fragility score? I had a REMS recently that showed good (green) Fragility score, but my spine and hip scores were dramatically different (-2.3 spine, -2.7 hip) than my DEXA scores (-4.4 spine, -3.6 hip). I'm also thin (5'5" 117lbs) and have some mid thoracic scoliosis, so it's unclear how much that might have affected my DEXA scan. I'm thinking about getting a DEXA with TBS too, to see if that correlates with the good REMS fragility score. So I would be interested to know if you found a correlation.

Thanks!

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