Osteopenia: Definition, Uses, and Clinical Overview
Osteopenia is a term for bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than expected but not low enough to meet the definition of osteoporosis. It is a **condition/concept** used to describe fracture risk related to reduced bone mass. In practice, Osteopenia is most commonly identified on **dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)** reports using a **T-score** range. Clinicians use it across primary care, endocrinology, geriatrics, and orthopedics to guide evaluation of bone health and fracture prevention strategies.