OSTEOPOROSIS CLINICAL-FEATURES, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT

Osteoporosis is a condition resulting in an increased risk of skeletal fractures due to a reduction in the volume of bone tissue. Although it may occur at any age, osteoporosis is most commonly found in the mature adult skeleton. Osteopenia is a term denoting a reduction in bone volume; osteoporosis (porous bone) specifies a specific form of osteopenia which is accompanied by cortical porosity. Osteoporosis leads to a reduction in absolute bone volume in association with a normal ratio of unmineralized to mineralized bone matrix. It must be differentiated from the other major form of osteopenia affecting adults, osteomalacia, which is associated with an increase in the ratio of unmineralized to mineralized bone matrix.