Lesson Three - Musculoskeletal
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Osteoporosis
What is it?
Osteoporosis literally means a condition of porous bones. A patient with osteoporosis has bones with thin and brittle walls. The inside of the bones are often compared to a sponge because they are
full of more pores than normal, making them easy to break. This is especially true of the wrist, hips, and spine. A broken bone in a patient with osteoporosis can be difficult to heal and
cause long-term disability.
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
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Unfortunately, for many patients, a broken bone is the first sign that they have osteoporosis, as the disease can be quite far along before there are any noticeable symptoms.
As the disease progresses, there may be other signs, such as increased back pain, loss of height, and a curved backbone.
As the disease progresses, there may be other signs, such as increased back pain, loss of height, and a curved backbone.
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Bones naturally thin as a person ages. However, there are some factors that can increase the risk of bone loss, such as
- Age—risk increases as patients approach and pass 60 years old
- Being a postmenopausal woman or a woman with low estrogen
- Having a slender body frame
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Race—being of European or Asian descent increases risk
- Smoking
- Lack of weight-bearing exercise
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Lack of calcium
- Lack of vitamin D
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