What is Osteoporosis?
The definition of osteoporosis is “a decrease of the density of bone mass”. It is a condition that causes thinning and weakening of normal bone, which may lead to an increase in the risk of bones breaking (bone fracture). Bones that are affected by osteoporosis can fracture with only a minor fall or injury that normally would not cause a bone fracture. The fracture can be either in the form of cracking (as in a hip fracture), or collapsing (as in a compression fracture of the vertebrae of the spine). The spine, hips and wrists are common areas of osteoporosis-related bone fractures, although osteoporosis-related fractures can also occur in almost any skeletal bone area.
Osteoporosis is not arthritis, which leads to problems within joints due to cartilage wear. Instead, osteoporosis is a problem of the bone and its ability to adequately support the weight of the body.
There are two main categories of osteoporosis:
- Type I - occurs only in post-menopausal women and is due to oestrogen deficiency.
- Type II - occurs in both men and women (about two times more frequently in women) and is due to ageing and calcium deficiency over many years.
