Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal condition that causes our bones to become more fragile, weak and prone to fractures such as falling from a standing height.
Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of the bone that is diagnosed by a bone density test that often measures bone at the hip and spine (T-score).
Minimal trauma such as a fall can cause osteoporotic bones to break or fracture. The most common sites to fracture:
Hip | Spine | Wrist | Lower leg | Shoulder
The 'silent disease' = No visible symptoms yet a very common condition.
One in three women and one in five men aged over 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture.
A bone fracture can be very painful and osteoporotic fractures often result in long-term disability and loss of independence for older adults.