The host of the Osteoporosis Module is Michael Pazianas, MD , Associate Professor, Medicine University of Pennsylvania Division of Geriatric Medicine. The creators of Turtle Springs gratefully acknowledge his support in the creation of this module. As we get older, we lose more bone than our bodies can make. This loss weakens the bones and can cause fractures in the hip, wrist, spine, or elsewhere. Bone is living tissue, just like any other tissue in the body.
Old bone is replaced by new bone all the time.
Every day, cells called osteoclasts break bone down, and another type of cell known as osteoblasts, try to repair the damage by forming new, healthy bone. Up until our early 30's, the osteoblasts make more bone than is lost. These are the years when the body builds the skeleton up to hold the greatest amount of bone. From our 30's to our 50's, we lose old bone and make new bone at about the same rate. When women each menopause and men reach their 50's, the process changes again.