When is it beneficial to scan both femurs?

Scanning both femurs is particularly beneficial to establish a baseline in case of injury when a lumbar spine scan is not feasible. In scenarios where a patient may have sustained a fracture or injury, having bone density data from both femurs provides a comparative analysis that can help in determining the other femur's normalcy against the potentially affected one. This dual-femur data can assist healthcare providers in making more informed decisions regarding treatment strategies and patient management.

Moreover, in situations where the lumbar spine cannot be scanned due to various reasons, evaluating the femurs can still yield valuable information regarding overall bone health. The femur is a critical site for assessing bone density, and by capturing measurements from both femurs, clinicians can create a broader picture of the patient's skeletal condition despite the limitations imposed on lumbar assessment.