Proceedings of The British Institute of Radiology What shall we do about osteoporosis? 22 November 1989

Osteoporosis is a disease in which there is too little bone and individuals are at increased risk of fracture, often without significant trauma. The clinically most relevant fractures are those of the forearm, spine and hip. Fracture of the hip has received the most attention as, in addition to the high morbidity, the need for hospital admission and escalating financial costs, there is significant mortality of around 20% as a result of related complications. However, fracture of the spine should not be forgotten, as this tends to affect a relatively younger group of women who may have to look forward to many years of chronic discomfort and increasing deformity. It is of concern that the incidence of osteoporotic fracture has been found to be increasing in some countries, e.g. Scandanavia and the United Kingdom. The cause for this is not apparent. Nevertheless while individuals are living longer it would appear that there is a deterioration in skeletal quality from one generation to the next. Hospital costs are rising, individuals are living longer and the incidence of osteoporosis appears to be on the increase. The problems relating to osteoporosis can no longer be ignored and if p