Osteoporosis and prevention of fragility fractures

The National Institute of Health (2014) describes osteoporosis as ‘a disease in which the bones become weak and are more likely to break’, suggesting the most vulnerable areas for the fractures are the wrist, the spine and the hips. The increase risk of fracture in osteoporosis is a consequence of the low bone mass and the deterioration of the bone structure (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2016). The definition of osteoporosis is supported by criteria set by the World Health Organization (2007), stating that osteoporosis relates to a bone mineral density (BMD) of 2.5 standard deviations or more below the average value for young healthy women