Osteoporosis
Description
- Skeletal disorder of reduced bone mass and disrupted microarchitecture -> reduced strength -> fragility fracture
- Fragility (minimal-trauma) fracture = fracture from a fall from standing height or less
- *A fragility fracture is osteoporosis regardless of the T-score*
- Silent until it fractures - there are no symptoms of low bone density itself
Common fracture sites
- Vertebral (most are asymptomatic and found incidentally), hip (neck of femur), distal radius (Colles), humerus, pelvis, ribs
- *Skull, hands, feet, cervical spine - NOT osteoporotic. Fracture here means pathological or traumatic*
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