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Osteoporosis

Last updated Tuesday, May 15, 2007

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What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis (Greek: bone with too many passages) is a condition in which the holes in the bones become larger. Instead of bone, the spaces are filled with fat or bone marrow cells and the bone density is decreased. The bones are weak and break easily.

What symptoms indicate that osteoporosis needs immediate medical attention?

Osteoporosis does not cause symptoms unless the bones break. Usually the broken bones are painful, especially fractures of the wrist, ankle or hip. These serious fractures happen after a fall or injury.

What are some common misconceptions (common misunderstandings or myths) about osteoporosis?

The most common misconception is that osteoporosis is a disease of old women. Osteoporosis is frequently seen in men and it can occur at any age.

Another myth is that hip fractures cause falls. In 95% of cases, the hip breaks after a person falls. There might be rare exceptions.

Surgery for Osteoporosis at the University of Washington

If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call 206-598-4288 (outside the Seattle area: 800-440-3280) to make an appointment.

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