Why the Bones Break Osteoporosis is a major global public health problem. About 25 million people, most of them women, have osteoporosis in the United States.
Osteoporotic fractures can be catastrophic.
There are 1.7 million hip fractures per year worldwide. About 25 percent of the people who suffer hip fractures die in six months, and many require permanent institutional care. Humpback posturing in women is a visible sign of osteoporosis and signifies the crush of life's passage. Bone density achieved in early adulthood is the major determinant of risk of osteoporotic fracture. Bone density depends on complex interactions between the osteoclast and osteoblast.