Osteoporosis Fact Sheet

• Also called porous bone disease or brittle bone disease
• Characterized by reduced bone density and strength
• Associated with increased risk of fractures
• Bones most susceptible to breaking are:
  • Spinal vertebrae
  • Hip
  • Wrists
  • Ribs
• Initial symptom is often mid- to lower back pain
• Causes decrease in height of up to 15 cm, and curvature of the spine (kyphosis) resulting in "dowager's hump"

• More prevalent in women than men, but affects both sexes

• Osteoporosis is a major and costly public health issue. Prevalence and cost are expected to increase as population ages

• Persons of white or Asian descent are most likely to be affected

• More prevalent among older persons, but can strike at any age

• Hip fractures are associated with increased risk of mortality: 25% of sufferers die within one year of breaking their hips

• Only half of those breaking a hip return to pre-injury functional status

• In 1990, 25 000 Canadians suffered hip fractures; the cost of acute and long-term rehabilitative care was estimated to be $400 million

• Bone mineral density measurement is typically required for making the diagnosis and is generally performed by:

  • Dual energy X-Ray absorptometry (DXA), or less frequently by computerized tomography (CT) scan

  • The diagnosis is frequently only made after fracture occurs

Bone and tooth society

www.batsoc.org.uk

Arthritis Society

www.arthritis.ca

Osteoporosis Canada

www.osteoporosis.ca