What is osteoporosis?

1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men over the age of 60 will develop a bone fracture due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker, more brittle and more likely to break. Osteoporosis occurs when the bones lose calcium more quickly than the body can replace it. Our bodies are constantly releasing calcium from bone and then rebuilding new bone in a continuous cycle to achieve a balance. After about age 35 this balance is disturbed and bone loss occurs at a slightly faster rate than it can be replaced. This leads to a loss of bone thickness or bone density and the bones become weaker.

In a person suffering from osteoporosis, even a minor bump or accident can cause serious fractures. This type of fracture is also called a fragility or minimal trauma fracture. Osteoporosis usually has no symptoms until it becomes severe and a fracture occurs. That is why it is often called the ‘silent disease’.

About 50% of people with one fracture due to osteoporosis will have another one and the risk of future fractures rises with each new fracture.

Every 8 minutes, someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with a fracture related to osteoporosis. This is expected to rise as the population ages and the number of osteoporotic fractures increases. Fractures in older people can lead to chronic pain, disability and loss of independence and even premature death. The cost of osteoporosis-related fractures to the community is considerable.

Two thirds of fractures of the spine are not identified or treated, even though they nearly all cause pain and some disability. Often people believe that the symptoms of spine fracture (back pain, height loss or rounding of the spine) are just due to ‘old age’. However, for many people, osteoporotic fractures can be prevented, or at least the risk of having further fractures can be reduced.