In Focus: Osteoporosis

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Alan Cheung gets to the root of the problem — defining what osteoporosis is, identifying who is susceptible to the silent disease, and how to manage it

- Dr Alan Cheung

For the unfamiliar, what is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis literally means ‘thinning of bone’ and becomes a big problem as we age. People with osteoporosis are at a much bigger risk of breaking a bone with a simple slip or fall, which can result in a broken wrist, spine, or rib. The most serious complication however is a broken hip.

If your parents or relatives are over the age of 65, then osteoporosis is something that you need to be aware of, so take them to the doctor to be screened with a simple set of X-rays called a DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorbitometry) scan. This scan measures their bone mineral density (BMD) which is an indicator of osteoporosis. If you detect osteoporosis early enough, it can be treated with medication and an exercise program.

Are there any tell-tale signs to look out for?

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. Often, people don’t know they have it until they break a bone and it’s too late. After you or a loved one break a bone, it’s important to consider screening for osteoporosis with a DEXA scan to reduce the risk of further bone breakages (also known as ‘fractures’) occurring in future.