osteoporosis

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One example of atrophy is the progressive loss of bone that occurs in osteoporosis (normal bone shown on left; osteoporotic bone shown on right).

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osteoporosis

medical condition

Written by Robert D. Utiger

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 7, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Related Topics:: aging; bone; metabolic disease; bone disease; old age

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osteoporosis, disease characterized by the thinning of bones, with a consequent tendency to sustain fractures from minor stresses. Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease, and its name literally means “porous bone.” The disorder is most common in postmenopausal women over age 50. It is estimated that approximately one-fourth of the world’s population of women over age 60 have some degree of osteoporosis. For these women, fracture is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In affected persons the tiny rigid plates forming the honeycombed matrixes within bone gradually become thinner and rodlike, and the spaces between them grow ...(100 of 727 words)

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