Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis and broken bones

Osteoporosis or osteoporosis is a bone disease that weakens the bones so that they can break under the stresses of everyday life. Such fractures generally occur in the spine to cause harm, and especially the load-bearing vertebral bodies.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in the elderly. The most common (95%) is the primary osteoporosis, which means that of osteoporosis, which does not occur in contrast to secondary osteoporosis as a result of another disease. 80% of all postmenopausal osteoporosis affect women. 30% of women will develop a clinically relevant post-menopausal osteoporosis. Secondary osteoporosis is less frequent (5%), with diseases that require treatment with glucocorticosteroids for a longer period of time and / or lead to immobilization, in the foreground.

Common consequences of osteoporosis are bone fractures. Sorted by frequency are:

- Vertebral collapse (subsidence)

- Hip-near thigh bone fractures (including hip fracture)

- Wrist-spokes near fractures (distal radius fracture)

- Humeral head fracture (humerus subcapitale)

- Pelvic fracture

Moreover, there is an increased susceptibility to fractures at other skeletal sites.

The previous treatment of the symptoms caused by osteoporosis was limited mainly to krankgengymnastische measures, for example, strengthen the back muscles, but may have occurred in the spine bony changes can not be undone. With certain medications (such as calcium, vitamin D and the so-called bisphosphonates), it is possible, medium-and long-term bone to rebuild. This therapy prevents further bone loss, although one can not undo it machen.Ist fractures occurred to one who came to endanger the stability of the spine fracture of one or more vertebral bodies, so is the classic treatment either a brace treatment or the spinal column by an operation.

The new procedure, the cement stabilized (vertebroplasty / kyphoplasty) the circumstances when you apply will provide an alternative to the above traditional treatments dar. Although already several thousand patients were treated successfully in Germany, this treatment method is still considered experimental.