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VIII.99 - Osteoporosis

from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

Kenneth F. Kiple
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University, Ohio
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Summary

Osteoporosis is defined as a proportional decrease of both bone mineral and bone matrix, leading to fracture after minimal trauma. It differs from osteomalacia in which there is a normal amount of bone matrix (osteoid) but decreased mineralization. There are two clinical syndromes of osteoporosis. Type I, or postmenopausal osteoporosis, occurs in women aged 51 to 75; it involves primarily trabecular bone loss, and presents as vertebral crush fractures or fracture of the distal radius. Type II, or senile osteoporosis, occurs in both men and women, particularly after the age of 60; it involves trabecular and cortical bone loss, and more commonly presents with hip and vertebral wedge fractures. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is associated with decreased serum levels of parathyroid hormone and a secondary decrease in activation of vitamin D, whereas senile osteoporosis is associated with a primary decrease in activation of vitamin D and increased parathyroid hormone.

Osteoporosis is an enormous public health problem, responsible for at least 1.2 million fractures in the United States each year. Fractures of the vertebral bodies and hip comprise the majority, and the complications of hip fracture are fatal in 12 to 20 percent of cases. Nearly 30 percent require long-term nursing home care. The direct and indirect costs of osteoporosis in the United States are estimated at over 8 billion in 1989 dollars annually.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1993

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References

Albright, F., et al. 1941. Post-menopausal osteoporosis. Journal of the American Medical Association 116.Google Scholar
Chalmers, J., and Ho, K. C.. 1970. Geographical variations in senile osteoporosis. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 52B.Google Scholar
Cummings, S. R., et al. 1985. Epidemiology of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. Epidemiology Review 7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dewey, J. R., et al. 1969. Femoral cortical involution in three Nubian archaeological populations. Human Biology 41.Google ScholarPubMed
Ericksen, M. F. 1976. Cortical bone loss with age in three native American populations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garn, S. M. 1970. The earlier gain and the later loss of cortical bone. Springfield, Ill.Google Scholar
Nordin, B. E. C. 1966. International patterns of osteoporosis. Clinical Orthopedics 45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Resnick, N. M., and Greenspan, S. L.. 1989. Senile osteoporosis reconsidered. Journal of the American Medical Association 261.Google ScholarPubMed
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Smith, R. W., and Rizek, J.. 1966. Epidemiologic studies of osteoporosis in women of Puerto Rico and southeastern Michigan with special reference to age, race, national origin and to other related or associated findings. Clinicial Orthopedics 45.Google ScholarPubMed

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  • Osteoporosis
  • Edited by Kenneth F. Kiple, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
  • Book: The Cambridge World History of Human Disease
  • Online publication: 28 March 2008
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521332866.161
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  • Osteoporosis
  • Edited by Kenneth F. Kiple, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
  • Book: The Cambridge World History of Human Disease
  • Online publication: 28 March 2008
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521332866.161
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Osteoporosis
  • Edited by Kenneth F. Kiple, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
  • Book: The Cambridge World History of Human Disease
  • Online publication: 28 March 2008
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521332866.161
Available formats
×