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Osteoporosis means a condition in which the bones become fragile and brittle, leading to a higher risk of fractures (breaks or cracks) than in normal bone.

Occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, leading to a loss of bone thickness, so that even a minor bump or accident can cause serious fractures. These are known as fragility or minimal trauma fractures.

Any bone can be affected by Osteoporosis, but the most common sites are bones in the hip, spine, wrist, ribs, pelvis and upper arm. Osteoporosis usually has no signs or symptoms until a fracture happens - this is why Osteoporosis is often called the 'silent disease'.

Fractures due to Osteoporosis can lead to changes in posture (eg developing a stoop or Dowager's hump in your back), muscle weakness, loss of height and bone deformity of the spine. Fractures can lead to Chronic Pain, disability, loss of independence and even premature death.

Every 8 minutes, someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with an Osteoporotic fracture. This is expected to rise to every 3 - 4 minutes by the year 2021, as the population ages and the number of osteoporotic fractures increase.

About 50% of people with one fracture due to Osteoporosis will have another. The risk of future fractures rises with each new fracture, the 'cascade effect' meaning that women who have suffered a fracture in their spine are over 4 times more likely to have another fracture within the next year, compared to women who have never had an Osteoporotic fracture.

People who have had two or more osteoporotic fractures are up to 9 times more likely to have another fracture, rising to an 11 times greater risk for people who have had three or more fractures, compared to someone who has not had one.

1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men over 60 years will have an Osteoporotic fracture in Australia.

The Garvin Institute of St Vincent's and Mater Health Campus, affiliated with University of NSW, estimate that the total cost, which includes factors such as carers and lost income, is $7 billion pa (or $20 million every day).  Aside from these financial costs, fractures often affect mobility, lead to loss of confidence and quality of life, and increases the risk of dying prematurely.