{"id":3281,"date":"2026-08-29T14:51:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonescan.ca\/?page_id=3281"},"modified":"2026-11-12T13:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T18:11:55","slug":"osteodensitometrie-a-ottawa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bonescan.ca\/fr\/bone-density-scan-ottawa\/","title":{"rendered":"Ost\u00e9odensitom\u00e9trie \u00e0 Ottawa"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Radiation free bone density testing in Ottawa using EchoLight REMS ultrasound technology. No referral required, and your report is emailed to you within 24 hours.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advanced Bone Health Services holds bone density clinics in Ottawa using Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry, known as REMS. The scan measures bone mineral density using ultrasound rather than X-ray, so there is no ionising radiation at any point in the appointment.<\/p>\n

Where the Ottawa clinic is held<\/h2>\n

Our Ottawa scanning clinic is hosted at UC Baby Ottawa, 117 Centrepointe Drive, Suite 340, in Nepean in the west end of the city.<\/p>\n

Advanced Bone Health Services operates as a mobile clinic on a rotating national schedule rather than a permanent walk in facility. Ottawa dates are announced in advance and appointment slots are limited, so we recommend booking as soon as a date is released. Your confirmation email includes the exact suite, entrance and parking details.<\/p>\n

Check the next available Ottawa clinic date and book your appointment<\/a><\/p>\n

What changed for Ontario patients in 2026<\/h2>\n

If you have been told you now have to wait longer between bone density scans than you used to, you are not imagining it.<\/p>\n

On 1 April 2026 the Ontario Health Insurance Plan changed the intervals at which bone mineral density testing is insured. Osteoporosis Canada responded with a public position statement saying the new access is not consistent with its 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Osteoporosis in Canada, and is not in the best interests of patient care.<\/p>\n

In practice, the current OHIP position works out as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Situation<\/th>\nWhat OHIP insures<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
First scan<\/td>\nA baseline test, ordered by a physician or nurse practitioner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not high risk<\/td>\nFive years or longer between scans<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Higher risk<\/td>\nGenerally 36 months, where before April 2026 a repeat was possible after 12 months if the physician considered it necessary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type of scan covered<\/td>\nAxial DXA of the hip and spine only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Referral<\/td>\nA requisition is required<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For many Ontarians this works perfectly well. The gap matters most if you have recently started or changed osteoporosis treatment, if you have had a fall, or if your physician wanted to see whether a treatment is working before the next insured scan comes due.<\/p>\n

Because REMS uses ultrasound rather than X-ray, there is no radiation dose to accumulate, so it is not limited in the same way. That makes it a practical way to check your bone health in between insured scans, and it is one of the most common reasons Ottawa patients book with us.<\/p>\n

We are not a replacement for OHIP or for your physician. We encourage every patient to share their report with their own doctor.<\/p>\n

Bone scan, bone density scan and DEXA are not the same test<\/h2>\n

These terms get used interchangeably, which leads people to book the wrong thing. It is worth thirty seconds to check which one you actually need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Test<\/th>\nWhat it involves<\/th>\nTypical duration<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Nuclear medicine bone scan<\/td>\nA radioactive tracer is injected, then images are taken. Used to investigate infection, injury or disease in the bone.<\/td>\nAround three hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DEXA or DXA bone density scan<\/td>\nLow dose X-ray measures bone mineral density. The insured option in Ontario and the established reference standard.<\/td>\n10 to 30 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
REMS bone density scan<\/td>\nUltrasound signal analysis measures bone mineral density with no radiation, and also reports bone quality.<\/td>\n20 to 30 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

If you are searching for a bone scan in Ottawa because you are worried about osteoporosis, the test you want is a bone density scan rather than a nuclear medicine bone scan.<\/p>\n

How REMS compares with DEXA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nREMS ultrasound scan<\/th>\nConventional DEXA scan<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Technology<\/td>\nUltrasound, radiofrequency signal analysis<\/td>\nDual energy X-ray<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Radiation exposure<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nLow dose ionising radiation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Referral required<\/td>\nNot in most cases<\/td>\nYes, a requisition is needed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scanning interval<\/td>\nNot limited by radiation dose<\/td>\nSet by OHIP insured intervals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Results<\/td>\nEmailed to you within 24 hours<\/td>\nReported to the referring physician<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Output<\/td>\nT score, Z score, Fragility Score and total fracture risk over five years<\/td>\nT score and Z score<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

DEXA remains the long established reference standard for diagnosing osteoporosis, and it is the test OHIP insures. REMS is intended as an accessible, radiation free way to understand and monitor your bone health alongside it.<\/p>\n

What the scan involves<\/h2>\n