Low Bone Density Conditions
The Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis estimates that in 2020 approximately half of Americans over age 50 will have or be a risk of developing osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates roughly 10 million active cases in the
U.S., 8 million women and 2 million men, with an additional 34 million Americans at serious risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including over 300,000 hip fractures; approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures; 250,000 wrist fractures; and 300,000 fractures at other sites. The estimated national direct expenditures (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporotic hip fractures were $18 billion dollars in 2002. Patients with hip fractures are much more likely to experience additional fractures in the future. The loss of quality of life underlying these statistics is enormous.