Thin bones

There are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.

Symptoms occurring late in the disease include:

• Bone pain or tenderness
• Fractures with little or no trauma
• Loss of height (as much as 6 inches) over time
• Low back pain due to fractures of the spinal bones
• Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal bones
• Stooped posture or kyphosis, also called a "dowager's hump"

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 bone density test.

A special type of spine CT that can show loss of bone mineral density, quantitative computed tomography (QCT), may be used in rare cases.

In severe cases, a spine or hip x-ray may show fracture or collapse of the spinal bones. However, simple x-rays of bones are not very accurate in predicting whether someone is likely to have osteoporosis.

You may need other blood and urine tests if your osteoporosis is thought to be due to a medical condition, rather than simply the usual bone loss seen with older age.

Images

Calcium source

Calcium benefit

Osteoporosis

Vitamin D source

Osteoporosis

Bone density scan

Changes in spine with age

Osteoporosis

Hip fracture

Review Date: 11/08/2010
Reviewed By: Ari S. Eckman, MD, Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)