Complications

Although osteoporosis often develops without noticeable symptoms, its consequences can be serious over time. Recognizing the potential complications of osteoporosis highlights the importance of prevention and ongoing care, helping you stay mobile, confident, and engaged in your daily life.

Fragility Fractures

The most common complication of osteoporosis are fractures. These occur due to low-energy forces that are insufficient to break a normal bone but sufficient enough to still cause harm. Common locations for fragility fractures include the pelvis, hip, spine, proximal humerus, forearm, and wrist .

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Common Fracture Locations:

This generally tends to be the earliest fracture in the disease. Colles fractures occur due to a fall with a direct impact on the palm of the hand. Symptoms include bruising, swelling, wrists hanging at an odd angle, and a decreased range of motion (eg: can't rotate the wrist as far as usual).

This is commonly seen in individuals past 75 years old. It is generated by a fall on the bones that have already been weakened by osteoporosis. Symptoms consists of hip function deterioration, chronic pain and inflammation.

This type of fracture is seen in women 10 years post-menopause. Symptoms include spinal pain, significant size reduction and deformities of the spine, residual pain exacerbated by exercising, standing or exertion.