Osteoporosis is a metabolic disorder of the bones which causes loss of the bone substance, change in its micro architecture and leads to loss of stability and fracture. These fractures mostly occur in the thoracic and lumbar vertebra. Females above 50 years of age have an increased life time risk of fractures: 15.6% in vertebra, 17.5% in hips (femur) and 39.7% elsewhere. The consequences are decrease in height, kyphosis (Gibbus) and reduction in distance between ribcage and pelvis. Once these changes have occurred , they are irreversible. Patients with fresh vertebra fractures have severe debilitating pain leading to significant disability which sometimes could be very extreme. Medical therapy for stabilization of other vertebra can be tried but this is relatively of little help in terms of biomechanical stability. Moreover the yearly increase in bony substance with medical therapy is only marginal. Hence there are chances of new fractures in other vertebra. Operative treatment of osteoporotic fractures are problematic because the decreased bone density and stability of other vertebra frequently doesn't allow an adequate fixation with osteosynthesis.

 

Document Date: 2006/05/08   Author: Ahmed Koujan

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