Fracture fragility

Osteoporosis is a common condition, in which bone density is decreased as a consequence of an imbalance between bone formation (osteoblast) and bone loss (osteoclast). This leads to fragile bones, which are at an increased risk for fractures. The term porosis means spongy, which describes the large holes seen in these bones. 

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density occurring when the loss of bone substance exceeds the rate of bone formation. Bones become porous, brittle, and fragile. Compression fractures of the vertebrae are common. This disorder occurs most often in postmenopausal women, but can occur in men as well. 

Fracture toughness Resilient, elastic Fragile Elastics... 

Many patients with osteoporosis are asymptomatic unless they experience a fragility fracture. 

Symptoms of fragility fracture include pain at the site of the fracture and immobility. 

Although most fragility fractures in women occur after age 50, certain groups of premenopausal women are at high risk for osteoporosis. The NOF recommends measuring bone mineral density in premenopausal women with risk factors in addition to sex and race, in whom treatment would be considered.1 Premenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis should follow all nonpharmacologic recommendations for exercise and adequate calcium and vitamin D intake. Currently, no good data... 

Evaluate patients for progression of osteoporosis, including signs and symptoms of new fragility fracture (e.g., localized pain), loss of height, and physical deformity (e.g., kyphosis). Patients should be assessed on an annual basis or more often if new symptoms present. 

Fragility fracture A fracture resulting from a fall from standing... 

Osteoporosis affects some 75 million people in Europe, Japan and the USA combined. The condition is characterized by progressive thinning of the bones, leading to bone fragility and increased risk of fracture. Treatment with Forsteo increases bone mineral density and generally entails daily s.c. injection for several months at dosage levels of 20 pg active/dose. 

The definition of osteoporosis is (NIH 2000) A systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and micro architectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture . 

Severe osteoporosis BMD 2.5 SD or more below the young adult mean and one or more fragility fractures... 

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue. This will lead to bone fragility and consequent increase in bone fracture risk. Mean bone mineral density (BMD) is measured with dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and expressed in Tsc (Tscore). WHO standards are a Tsc that is 1 standard deviation (SD) below mean BMD is graded as normal bone, Tsc between 1 and 1.5 SD below mean BMD is graded as osteopenia and a Tsc of more than 2.5 SD below mean BMD is graded as osteoporosis. When the Tsc is below 1.5 SD mean BMD prevention of osteoporosis must be initiated. Primary osteoporosis is caused mainly by hormone deflciency in both women and men. Secondary osteoporosis may result from endocrine, metabolic, nutritional and autoimmune causes or from immobility because of trauma. Also the use of medicaments such as corticosteroids may be contributing. 

A variety of diseases can affect bone and its structure. Paget s disease, for example, is a disorder arising from abnormal osteoclasts, characterized by exeessive bone resorption followed by replacement of the normal mineralized bone with structurally weak, poorly mineralized tissue. However, the most important bone disease is osteoporosis. This is a skeletal bone disease characterized hy microarchitectural deterioration of bony tissue and loss of bone mass, yielding increased susceptibility to bone fracture and bone fragility. In the United States, osteoporosis results in 1.5 million hone fractures annually, with 250,000 of these being hip fractures that sometimes ultimately culminate in patient death. There is a variety of therapies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. 

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