In normal bones, cells are continuously being added and removed. Until your early 20s, your body adds more new bone cells than it removes. This allows your bones to grow in size. Once you are about 30 years old, your body slowly starts to remove more bone cells than it adds. This is part of the normal aging process.
| Osteoporosis is a condition that causes more than a normal amount of bone cells to be removed. This causes your bones to "age" and lose their strength. The weak bones in your back often cause a change in the shape of your spine and therefore many people with osteoporosis have a very rounded back like the picture on the right. However, the worse problem caused by osteoporosis is that weak bones can break easily and cause severe pain and disability. | |
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Here is a picture of a typical fracture seen in the spine of someone with osteoporosis. |
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Orthopaedic Conditions
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