Osteoporosis is a disorder in which bones gradually become thinner and weaker until they get to the point where they break easily. Most commonly, people with advanced osteoporosis fracture their hip, spine, or wrist. It's possible that her fall caused her weakened, osteoporotic hip to break. The risk of osteoporosis becomes higher as a person gets older.
Women are more likely to be affected than men, for hormonal reasons.
However, osteoporosis can afflict people at any age, and a percentage of men also develop osteoporosis. To the individual, osteoporosis does not have obvious symptoms. Years may go by with the bone becoming weaker and weaker, until finally a fracture occurs. Hip fractures can lead to the loss of mobility and independence in the elderly. The best way to avoid the unpleasant, disabling, and disfiguring consequences of osteoporosis is to prevent bone loss before it becomes advanced, and to understand what the risk factors for osteoporosis are.