DEXA scan is a medical imaging test that estimates bone mineral density (BMD). It uses two low-dose X-ray energy levels to evaluate how much mineral is in bone. It is commonly used to assess osteoporosis and fracture risk. It is also used in spine and orthopedic settings to support surgical planning and long-term bone health monitoring.
A Bare-Metal Stent is a small metal mesh tube placed inside a narrowed or blocked blood vessel to help keep it open. It is most commonly used in the coronary arteries (the heart’s blood vessels) during a catheter-based procedure. Unlike drug-eluting stents, it does not have a medication coating designed to reduce tissue regrowth. It is a device cardiologists may select based on anatomy, bleeding risk, and the overall clinical situation.
SPECT-CT is a medical imaging test that combines two scans in one session. SPECT shows areas of increased or decreased body activity using a small amount of radiotracer. CT shows detailed anatomy, such as bones and joints, using X-rays. It is commonly used in spine and musculoskeletal care when symptoms and standard imaging do not clearly match.
DES most commonly means **drug-eluting stent** in cardiovascular medicine. A DES is a tiny metal scaffold placed inside an artery to help keep it open. It slowly releases a medication that reduces tissue overgrowth inside the stent. DES is most often used during **coronary angioplasty (PCI)** to treat narrowed heart arteries.
SPECT is a type of nuclear medicine imaging that shows how tissues are functioning, not just what they look like. It stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. It is commonly used in bone, heart, and brain imaging, and it can be helpful in selected spine and joint problems. SPECT is often paired with CT as SPECT/CT to combine functional and anatomic detail.
A Drug-Eluting Stent is a small metal mesh tube placed inside an artery to help keep it open. It slowly releases a medication into the vessel wall to reduce the chance of re-narrowing. It is most commonly used in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. It is typically implanted during a catheter-based procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Bone scan is a nuclear medicine imaging test that shows how actively bone tissue is remodeling. It uses a small amount of radioactive tracer and a special camera to detect “hot spots” and “cold spots” in the skeleton. It is commonly used to evaluate unexplained bone pain, possible fractures, infection, or cancer spread to bone. In spine care, it can help localize which vertebrae or joints are most metabolically active when symptoms and other imaging do not fully match.
A Coronary Stent is a small mesh tube placed inside a heart artery to help keep it open. It is most commonly used during a catheter-based procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The goal is to improve blood flow to heart muscle when a coronary artery is narrowed or blocked. Stents are used in both urgent heart-attack care and planned treatment for stable symptoms.
MR myelography is a type of MRI that highlights the fluid spaces around the spinal cord and nerve roots. It is used to look for narrowing, blockages, or abnormal outpouchings in the spinal fluid pathways. It is commonly used in spine clinics and hospitals to evaluate neck, mid-back, and low-back symptoms. It can complement a standard spine MRI when the question is specifically about nerve root sleeves and cerebrospinal fluid flow.
Balloon Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure used to open a narrowed or blocked blood vessel. It works by inflating a small balloon inside the vessel to improve blood flow. It is commonly used in the heart’s coronary arteries and in arteries supplying the legs, kidneys, or other organs. It is often performed during the same session as diagnostic angiography (contrast X-ray imaging of vessels).