Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become brittle and weak, causing them to break easily. It is caused by low bone density due to insufficient calcium and other minerals in the bones. Common fractures from osteoporosis occur in the spine, hip, and wrist. While often considered a women's disease, men can develop osteoporosis as well. Screening for bone mineral density is recommended for postmenopausal women and people deficient in vitamin D to detect osteoporosis before fractures occur. Symptoms of osteoporosis include back pain from fractured or collapsed vertebrae, loss of height, and fractures of bones.

1. Classical Features of Osteoporosis
Shama Rani Paul

2. Definition
• Osteoporosis means ‘porous bones’ causes bones to become
weak and brittle, so brittle that even mild stresses causes fracture.
• In most cases, bones weaken when low levels of calcium,
phosphorus, other minerals in the bones and results as low bone
density.
• Common result of osteoporosis is fractures of spine, hip and wrist.
• Although its thought as a women’s disease but it also affects men.
• How to decide on bone loss? – If you are a postmenopausal
woman or Vitamin D deficient then don’t wait until you have
symptoms to get screened. [ BONE MINERAL DENSITY (BMD)
SCREENING - DEXA ]
• Colles fracture are particularly common in patients with
osteoporosis and as such, they are most frequently seen in elderly
women.
• The relationship between Colles fractures and osteoporosis is
strong enough that when an older male patient presents with a
Colles fracture, he should be investigated for osteoporosis
because his risk of a hip fracture is also elevated.

3. Signs of Osteoporosis
NOTE: The fact is, bone loss that leads to osteoporosis often occurs
without any noticeable symptoms, so by the time you have a
fracture, feel pain, or develop curvature of the
spine, osteoporosis may already be present. But if you identify
bone loss early, you can take steps to reduce your risk
of osteoporosis.
• Backache, which can be severe if fractured or collapsed vertebra
• Loss of height overtime, with an accompanying stooped posture
• Fracture of vertebra, wrist, hips or other bones
• During post-menopausal period, every women must be aware of
osteoporosis and any fracture in that time must be evaluated to
rule out osteoporosis.

4. Clinical Features
• Clinical outcome of osteoporosis depends on which bone involved
• Thoracic and lumbar fractures – extremely common, which
produce loss of height and various deformities (like kyphoscoliosis
that can compromise respiratory function)
• Pulmonary embolism and pneumonia – common complications of
fractures of femoral neck, pelvis, spine
• Colles' fracture is a common fracture in people with osteoporosis,
second only to vertebral fractures.
• Asymptomatic post-menopausal osteoporosis is common but
some-times associated with pain and deformity.
• Symptomatic osteoporosis is usually associated with fracture.
(Kyphoscoliosis is a musculoskeletal disorder causing chronic
underventilation of the lungs and may be one of the major causes
of pulmonary hypertension)

5. References
• http://www.everydayhealth.com/osteoporosis/early-signs-of-
osteoporosis.aspx
• Robbins Pathology 8th Edition, page 806
• http://radiopaedia.org/articles/colles-fracture
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colles'fracture
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22081199
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