Osteoporosis: clinical features.

Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands. piet.geusens@scarlet.be

Clinical features associated with osteoporotic fractures include increased morbidity (pain, physical impairment, decreased quality of life), increased risk for new fractures (even within short-term) and increased mortality. Readily recognizable clinical features that indicate a high risk for fracture include age, gender, low body weight, history of fracture, familial history of fracture, severe immobilization, smoking, rheumatoid arthritis, use of glucocorticoids and clinical risks for falls. In addition, many patients with fractures and osteoporosis have pre-existing contributors to secondary osteoporosis, many of which are correctable.

PMID: 18431325 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]