Abstract
Osteoporosis is a chronic disease of mass appearance and should be defined as a disease of decreased bone strength rather than a disease of decreased bone mass. Osteoporosis related fractures are of particular interest due to their high burden on the individual and society and also their importance as a target of pharmacological intervention.
Bone mineral measurement (BMD), which is an established tool to diagnose osteoporosis (W.H.O., 1994) is not sufficient as a tool for treatment decisions. Currently, assessment of quality of bone is costly, technically demanding and/or invasive.
In clinical practice, the W.H.O. recommendation (2007) enables a more advantageous assessment of individual absolute risk of fracture based on BMD and clinical risk factors independent of BMD (sex, age, prevalent fracture, parent fractured hip, use of glucocorticoids, rheumatoid arthritis, secondary osteoporosis, smoking, and excessive alcohol intake).