Urology Pediatric GI Pediatrics Phys. Podiatry Psychiatry Psychology Pulm. Elm Grove Fox Point Franklin Glendale Grafton Greenfield Hales Corners Hartford Kenosha Menom. More than 20 million Americans have osteoporosis, and over 16 million don't even know it. This condition, in which bones are thin, brittle and susceptible to fracture, is usually silent until a bone is broken and the individual is left with pain, deformity and possible disability.
Bone is an active tissue, which remodels and rebuilds continuously.
Bone grows in length and height until adolescence and then strengthens until the late 20s. It begins to weaken and thin during the remainder of one's life. When men and women begin to lose the sex hormones, there is rapid bone loss over several years. Bone density testing is used to determine if you have osteoporosis or may be at risk for a fracture. Bone mass can be measured using a simple painless procedure called bone densitometry.