Alternative Names
Thin bones
Definition of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease.
Symptoms
There are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
Signs and tests
Bone mineral density testing (specifically a densitometry or DEXA scan) measures how much bone you have. Your health care provider uses this test to predict your risk for bone fractures in the future. For information about when testing should be done, see .
Treatment
The goals of osteoporosis treatment are to:
Expectations (prognosis)
Medications to treat osteoporosis can help prevent fractures, but vertebrae that have already collapsed cannot be reversed.
Review
A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Ari S. Eckman, MD, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (11/23/2009). – 1/4/2010
