Osteoporosis history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Eiman Ghaffarpasand, M.D. [2]

Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic, until the patient experiences an osteoporotic fracture. The hallmark symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain. Following osteoporotic fractures, the major signs appear gradually, which include immobility, bed sores (in some cases), shortness of height, and stooped posture.

Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic, until the patient experiences an osteoporotic fracture. The hallmark symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain. Following osteoporotic fractures, the major signs appear gradually, which include immobility, bed sores (in some cases), shortness of height, and stooped posture.

Patients with osteoporosis may have a history of:

• Menopause
• Immobility
• Calcium deficiency
• Chronic corticosteroid use
• Chronic vitamin D deficiency
• Hyperparathyroidism or hypoparathyroidism
• Decreased sunlight exposure

Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic until the patient encounters an osteoporotic fracture. The main symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain.

Other symptoms occurring late in the osteoporotic fracture, may include:

• Shortening of height (as much as 6 inches) over time
• Low back pain due to vertebral bone fractures, often with radiculopathic pain (shooting pain due to compression or retraction of a nerve); rarely, with spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome^[1]
• Neck pain due to fractures of the cervical spinal bones
• Stooped posture or kyphosis also called a Dowager’s hump
• Fractures of the long bones acutely impair mobility and may require surgery
• Hip fracture usually requires prompt surgery, as there are serious complications associated with a hip fracture, such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and increased mortality

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