Osteoporosis history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Eiman Ghaffarpasand, M.D. [2]
Overview
Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic, until the patient experiences an osteoporotic fracture. The hallmark symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain. Following osteoporotic fractures, the major signs appear gradually, which include immobility, bed sores (in some cases), shortness of height, and stooped posture.
History and symptoms
Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic, until the patient experiences an osteoporotic fracture. The hallmark symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain. Following osteoporotic fractures, the major signs appear gradually, which include immobility, bed sores (in some cases), shortness of height, and stooped posture.
History
Patients with osteoporosis may have a history of:
- Menopause (females)
- Immobility
- Calcium deficiency
- Chronic corticosteroid use
- Chronic vitamin D deficiency
- Hyperparathyroidism/hypoparathyroidism
- Decreased sunlight exposure
Common Symptoms
Osteoporosis is usually asymptomatic until the patient encounters an osteoporotic fracture. The main symptom of osteoporotic fracture is bone pain.
Less common symptoms
Other symptoms occurring late in the osteoporotic fracture, may include:
- Bone pain with localized tenderness
- Shortening of height (as much as 6 inches) over time
- Low back pain due to vertebral bone fractures, often with radiculopathic pain (shooting pain due to compression or retraction of a nerve); rarely, with spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome[1]
- Neck pain due to fractures of the cervical spinal bones
- Stooped posture or kyphosis, also called a dowager's hump
- Fractures of the long bones acutely impair mobility and may require surgery
- Hip fracture usually requires prompt surgery, as there are serious complications associated with a hip fracture, such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and increased mortality
References
- ↑ Kim DH, Vaccaro AR (2006). "Osteoporotic compression fractures of the spine; current options and considerations for treatment". The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society. 6 (5): 479–87. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2006.04.013. PMID 16934715.