the term used to describe standard deviations below the average in healthy premenopausal women ages 20-30 in the population as measured by bone mineral density.

a standard score that provides information about an individual's score relative to the scores of the subjects in the standardization sample

The results of a DEXA study are presented as T-scores. It is a statistical measure that refers to a comparison in measure of the individual woman's DEXA result with that of a healthy young woman's results (when peak bone mass is at its best). The important aspect of this measure is that it provides a means of quantifying the severity of bone mineral loss in the skeleton at the site at which it is measured.