Osteoporosis Flashcards
What is osteoporosis?
Chronic progressive disease characterized by the following:
- Low bone mass
- Impaired bone quality
- Decreased bone strength
- Enhanced risk of fractures
Often present w/o any symptoms
True or false: Osteoporosis is the most common PREVENTABLE metabolic bone disease
TRUE
Osteoporosis is a major cause of ____ in the elderly, resulting in what 4 factors?
FRACTURES
- pain
- disability
- costly rehab
- poor QOL and premature death
What are the most common osteoporotic fracture sites? (3)
Wrist, hip and vertebrate
What is the incidence of osteoporosis?
Affects 55% of Americans > 50+ years
10 million people currently have osteoporosis
What is the prevalence of osteoporosis?
1 in 2 women > 50 y/o and 1 in 4 men >70 y/o will have one OP related fx in their lifetime
A woman’s risk of a hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer
A man over 50 is more likely to break a bone from osteoporosis than get prostrate cancer
Which sex is more susceptible to developing osteoporosis?
FEMALE
What subset of women are more susceptible to osteoporosis?
Estrogen deficient women
Postmenopausal women have higher risk
What is the relationship between osteoporosis prevalence and men?
Under diagnosed Undertreated Underreported Higher morbidity and mortality than women(30% vs. 9%) Major public health problem
What 2 things make up bone?
Collagen (mostly): protein that provides soft framework
Calcium phosphate: mineral that adds strength and hardens framework
What are the two types of bone?
Compact/Cortical
Cancellous/Spongy Trabecular
What are 3 characteristics of compact cortical bone?
Make up outer shell of all bones
Comprises shafts of long bones of arms and legs
Makes up 80% of the skeletal mass
What are 3 characteristics of cancellous/spongy trabecular bone?
Makes up inner parts of bone (vertebrate, pelvis and ends of long bones)
Makes up 20% of skeletal mass
How does bone remodeling occur? Does it occur at the same rate in cancellous bone vs compact bone?
Occurs through resorption and formation of bone
Occurs at different rates in the two types of bone
Resorption occurs via the interaction of what 3 bone cell types?
Osteocytes
Osteoclasts: cells that break down bone (3 week life span)
Osteoblasts: cells that form new bone (3 month lifespan)
What are 4 characteristics of osteocytes?
- Comprise >95% of bone cells in an adult
- Buried in bone
- Sense mechanical strain
- Respond to mechanical strain (exercise) by sending signals to osteoblasts to increase bone formation or osteoclasts to remove existing bone
What are the 5 steps of normal bone remodeling?
- Osteoclast activation
- Bone breakdown
- Transition phase
- Bone formation by osteoblasts
- New bone matches amount broken down (hardens via mineralization)
What causes osteoporosis?
Occurs as a result of a mismatch between osteoclast and osteoblast activity
If osteoclast out performs osteoblast = thinning of bone = decrease in strength = greater risk of fracture
Osteoporosis commonly results from what 3 factors?
- Aging
- Change in normal hormones post menopause
- Diets low in calcium and vit D
What is the relationship between age, bone turnover and bone mass?
Children/Adolescents: Formation>Resorption and bone mass increases
Adults: Formation = resorption and bone mass unchanged
Older adults/Post menopausal = Formation < Resorption, bone mass decreases
What is peak bone mass? What age does this typically occur?
Largest amount of bone tissue that a person has at any point in life
Most people reach their peak bone mass by the age of 30.
What are the differences in peak bone mass among males and females?
90-95% PBM attained at age 18 for girls, age 19-20 for boys
Growth spurts occur ages 11-14 for girls, ages 13-17 for boys, 40% of total adult bone mass is accumulated in this period of rapid growth
What are the determinants of peak bone mass (aside from gender)?
Physical Activity Hormones Risk Factors Genetics (60-80%) Nutrition: calcium/vit D
What are the 3 types of osteoporosis?
Generalized-involving the whole skeleton (astronauts develop because no stress pulling on bones/muscles in space)
Regional: involving limb or region of skeleton (hip, spine, rib)
Localized: involving only focal areas of bone (caused by prolonged immobilization in cast)
What is primary osteoporosis?
Bone loss associated with biological changes that take place throughout the lifespan.
Type l: occurs in post menopausal women in association with a decrease in estrogen.
Type ll: associated with the aging process