Osteoporosis Support Group

Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of non-collagenous proteins in bone is changed. It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 worldwide have osteoporosis. It is responsible for millions of fractures annually, mostly involving the lumbar...

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/ Osteoporosis Support Group

Broken bones?

littlemart
littlemart
Will everyone one who has Osteoporosis eventually break a bone? I has osteoarthritis, spondylosis and tendonitis as well as osteoporosis and everything on me hurts. Some of those places feel like my bones are about to break. But most of this pain is probably from the other problems and my MS.

Just wondering what usually happens to us.

I am not taking any osteo meds. I do take Tums for my reflux and sometimes I take Viactiv. My diet is not great, but I try to eat foods that have calcium.
nanny1611
nanny1611
I've had 2 breaks--a compression fracture of a vertebrae, and my leg at the knee. Both times I had fallen, and it was before I started my supplement regimen that helped me regain bone density.
littlemart
littlemart
nanny1611 what is a compression fracture?

Are these breaks inevitable or will some people never break a bone?
22Lynn
22Lynn
I've had osteoporsis for awhile now in my spine. About as bad as it can get. I fell in my bathroom last July on hard tile. The pain in my back was so bad I couldn't even move for over 15 minutes. Just laid on the floor for along time. No breaks. I've fallen several times, I have seizures sometimes. I still haven't broken a bone. I'm doing supplements and weight bearing exercise, mostly walking. I don't worry about a break unless I fall, and so far no breaks. I don't think you can predict who will break a bone, so I would try to not worry about it.
nanny1611
nanny1611
A compression fracture of a vertebra is when the bone is impacted on both its top and bottom, squeezing the vertebra, and causing fracture lines all around it. The affected bone stays compressed. The ortho explained it to me this way. It's like holding a marshmallow between your thumb and pointer finger, and then "squishing" it between those fingers. It stays compressed, and it causes fracture lines all around the outside where it bulged. That's why I'm shorter than I used to be. I had to wear a metal body brace for 3 months, and couldn't lift anything heavy until the break healed. The leg break was different (not a compression), requiring surgery and the placement of a metal support bracket on the bone. I wasn't permitted to put any weight on the leg for 6 months. Not very nice. Both breaks were from hard falls.