The Consequences Of Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

The consequences of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis was once known as a silent disease because it surreptitiously gnawed away at bones, giving no warning signs. Eventually, it would make itself known when a break occurred without due cause, perhaps triggered by something as innocent as a sneeze.

Although any bone can be affected, most breaks related to osteoporosis occur in one of three sites — the hips, the vertebrae, or the wrists (see Figure 7). Fractures at these sites, particularly in women who are past menopause, signal osteoporosis because these regions contain relatively high proportions of trabecular bone and are especially vulnerable to the effects of bone loss.

These fractures exact a high toll, leaving some people in pain while stripping others of their ability to perform everyday activities or to move around independently. Two-thirds of those who break a bone because of osteoporosis will never fully regain their previous level of functioning. Many people become so fearful of breaking another bone that they limit their activities, which causes them to feel helpless, isolated, and depressed.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007