Osteoporosis and osteopenia are significant health concerns in Australia, especially among the ageing population. Osteoporosis is a chronic condition defined by low bone mineral density, which increases the risk of fracture. Osteopenia refers to bone mineral density that is lower than normal but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Osteopenia can progress to osteoporosis.
Minimal trauma fractures are a major feature of osteoporosis — these are fractures that occur following minimal or no trauma. Fractures due to osteoporosis can result in chronic pain, disability, loss of independence and premature death.
Diagnosis of osteoporosis requires an assessment of bone mineral density (BMD). The most commonly used technique for this is a specialised x-ray known as a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Scan results are expressed as a
