Epidemiology of Osteoporosis

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass, deterioration of skeletal architecture and an increased susceptibility to fragility fracture. Osteoporotic fractures tend to occur at skeletal sites with a high trabecular bone content, with common fractures being in the thoracic and lumbar spines, the hip and at the wrist. These fractures are characterized by higher incidence rates in women compared to men, and a sharp rise in the fracture rates with increasing age. The lifetime risk for these common osteoporotic fractures in British men and women is shown in Table 4.1. Fracture incidence in the community shows a bimodal distribution with age, with peaks in youth and the elderly. Fractures in the young commonly affect long bones due to major trauma and their incidence is consequently higher in males compared to females.