[Osteoporosis--from the view point of the orthopedic surgeon]

It is commonly accepted that the incidence of osteoporosis, as well as hypertension and diabetes, increases with age. With the expansion of the elderly portion of the population in society, the number of cases of osteoporosis and its related fractures must correspondingly increase. Regarding the effect of the level of decreased bone mass or bone mineral density of patients with vertebral body or hip fracture, the incidence rate of fractures significantly increases when the bone mass level of patients becomes less than -3 S.D. of the peak bone mass level at each of the respective sites. As a result, areas of under -3 S.D. area of te peak bone mass level are considered to be fracture risk area. When treating osteoporosis patients, special consideration must be given to other age-related complications. One third of hip fracture patients already have dementia, hypertension, or cerebrovascular disorders at the time of injury. Exercise and weight bearing are important for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis because of their positive influence on the muscles and the bone tissue of the patients.