vertebral fracture

Osteoporosis is an important and costly public health problem. Its impact is predicted to escalate dramatically with ageing of the population. Between 30% and 50% of women can expect to sustain fractures in their lifetime, and 30% of all women in their advanced years fracture a hip. Osteoporosis in men has been a neglected public health issue. Low-trauma fractures due to osteoporosis occur in 30% of older men, and one-third of all hip fractures in the community occur in men.

A conceptual definition of osteoporosis is that it is a systemic condition of altered bone quantity and quality (structural and material properties of bone), characterised by low bone mass and deterioration in the microstructure of bone, leading to increased bone fragility and a consequent increase in fracture risk. Bone mass is generally measured as bone mineral density (BMD) and the lower the BMD the higher is the risk of fracture. Osteoporosis is defined operationally in terms of BMD and currently is diagnosed, according to World Health Organization criteria, when BMD at any major skeletal site is more than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for young normal subjects (a T-score of –2.5 or less). Osteoporosis can be diagnosed before fractures have occurred.

A lesser bone deficit, osteopenia or low bone mass, is defined by a T-score between –1 and –2.5. BMD results are also expressed as Z-scores, the number of standard deviations away from the age-matched mean value. A low Z-score can be used to prompt investigation for underlying causes of a bone deficit.

Female gender (lower peak bone mass than men and menopause-associated bone loss) and ageing in both sexes are major risks for osteoporosis. So it is really important to maintain bone density from younger age. Avoid osteoporosis, and keep healthy.

* reference image from wikipedia.org

* reference video from youtube.com