Stem cell fracture treatment showing results

Photo by ncgraphics
Australian doctors say they have had good results using adult stem cells to repair bone fractures.

The trial at Royal Melbourne Hospital involved 10 patients with leg fractures which would not heal.

Results released today show all patients treated with adult stem cells have had new bone growth, while seven patients had their fractures completely healed within six months.

Tags: health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, medical-procedures, science-and-technology , stem-cells, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/13/2161760.htm

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Broken bones start to fix themselves almost immediately

The playground at your local park probably has a conveniently spongy surface perfect for cushioning young bones upon the inevitable tumble from the jungle gym. But back in the days of monkey bars and concrete slabs, playgrounds were notorious hotbeds of bone fractures. One consolation of such a painful mishap was a cool cast signed by everyone in your class. Aside from that, a good thing about broken bones is that they start to fix themselves almost immediately. How do they do it?

Although they may appear dry and lifeless, bones are just as alive as the tissue that surrounds them. Inside the hard outer part of a bone is a spongy center filled with blood vessels and special cells that constantly tear down and rebuild the bone from the inside out. Bone cells called osteoclasts are like a demolition crew, breaking down old bone material while cells called osteoblasts are like a construction crew, building up new bone material as the old stuff is demolished.

So how do these cells help broken bones heal? When a bone breaks, a blood clot forms and bone demolition cells near the site of the break immediately begin clearing away the rubble. Meanwhile, the bone creates a sort of patch called a bone callus to replace the blood clot and hold the broken bone together. At the same time, bone construction cells near the break start to produce new bone material to repair the damage. Depending on the bone and the severity of the fracture, after several weeks its hardworking cells can repair a broken bone as good as new.

Source: http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/brokenbones.html

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New treatment lets patients use broken bones immediately

Jewelry designer Eve Alfille, 72, sought medical attention for a wrist fracture just 10 days before she was to show a new collection of work at her gallery in Evanston.

She thought her show would be ruined because she would be unable to finish hand-crafting her jewelry with a clunky cast on her wrist.

She went to one doctor who told her he wouldn’t perform surgery – the wrist would just have to heal on its own. Without the surgery she faced permanent displacement, and might not have been able to twist her wrist ever again, she said.

“They weren’t really interested in my needs,” Alfille said. “I am a jewelry designer and there is a certain use of my hand that I just need – I wouldn’t be able to work.”

She was devastated and sought a second opinion. That’s when Dr. Mark Cohen, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center who specializes in hand, wrist and elbow surgery, told her that using the latest technology he could fix her wrist and have her back to work in just a few days.

“It was remarkable,” Alfille said. “There was no pain, before or after, and I was able to do work that same day.”

Alfille is but one of many patients who will find wrists fractures less of an inconvenience than in years past. New technology, which attaches small plates to the bone, has been tested over the past five years and has now had enough trials to be proved very effective at getting patients up and running months faster than before without risk of reinjuring the bone, Cohen said.

Wrist fractures are the most common type of broken bones, which means many people could potentially be incapacitated by the injury. Cohen said in the winter with slippery sidewalk and ice-crusted parking lots he treats three to four broken wrists a week. In addition to being of use on the wrist, the plates can also be used in ankle, leg, hip and other types of fractures.

“These small little locking plates have revolutionized the way we treat broken wrists,” Cohen said. “Patients experience less pain, fewer problems after surgery, recover quicker and rapidly recover their mobility and function.”

The small locking plates are secured internally with small screws placed directly into the bone. Once in place the plates are extremely secure and permanent. The patient can almost immediately enter rehabilitation therapy and start to return to normal activities, Cohen said. Using old technology, including casts, to set the wrist -- or external screws fixed into place with metal bars -- the patient would not enter therapy until about two months after the fracture occurred.

The process is much faster because the body is essentially tricked into thinking it is healed because it has been bolted back together internally, said Dr. John Fernandez, Cohen’s partner in orthopedics at Rush University Medical Center.

“We have a couple of students who were treated the old way versus the new way and the difference is dramatic,” Fernandez said. “Patients are able to use the hand immediately rather than waiting for the fracture to heal.”

This surgery will be most influential for seniors who are the most common victims of falls that result in broken or fractured bones, Cohen said.

“Many older people live alone and their independence is very important to them,” Cohen said. “To be able to make somebody independent within a few days is a huge difference than having someone rely on only one hand for all of their activities.”

Source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=76077

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Detailed Information on Fractures

A fracture is commonly referred to as a broken bone. The bones of the shape of the human body, or skeleton, which supports and protects the soft parts of the body. The bones are living tissue. They are growing fast at one's early years, and renew themselves when they are broken.

Bones have a center called the marrow, which is softer than the outer part of the bone. Bone marrow cells that had developed in red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body and the white blood cells that help fight disease. Bones also contain minerals calcium and phosphorus. If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an open fracture. Fractures occur frequently due to car accidents, falls and sports injuries. Another issue is osteoporosis, which causes a weakening of the bones.

Fracture of the bone may also occur due to certain health problems that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer or steogenesis imperfecta.

First aid for fractures includes stabilizing the break with a splint in order to prevent movement of the injured part. Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of clothing. Don't try to realign the bone. Surgical methods of treating fractures have their own risks and benefits. A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment, because most broken bones can heal successfully once they have been repositioned. Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action. Proper diet and exercise.

Fractures Treatment Tips

1. Don't try to realign the bone.

2. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage.

3. Proper diet and exercise may help in preventing some fractures.

4. Traction is usually used to align a bone or bones by a gentle, steady pulling action.

5. Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive.

6. A plaster or fiberglass cast is the most common type of fracture treatment.

7. Don't apply ice directly to the skin wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.

Article Tags: Fractures Information, Fractures Treatment Tips, Fractures Causes Symptoms, Get Rid Of Fractures

About the Author:
Juliet Cohen writes articles for Diseases. She also writes articles for Makeup and Hairstyles

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/detailed-information-on-fractures-309796.html

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Levels of Testosterone Linked to Broken Bones in Older Men

(January 14, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Having low blood levels of the male hormone testosterone could be a risk factor for fractures in men over 60, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Here are some facts about osteoporosis and fracture risk in men:

• Osteoporosis is a condition that develops with aging and the use of certain drugs in which bone mass is lost, leading to more fragile bones and an increased risk of fractures.

• While most commonly associated with women, as many as one-third of fractures related to osteoporosis occur in men.

• Men who have had a previous osteoporosis-related fracture have three to four times the risk of having another fracture as women of the same age with a fracture.

Researchers out of the University of Sydney assessed the bone mineral density (BMD) and lifestyle factors of over 600 men whose average age was nearly 73 years. They observed these men for up to 16 years, keeping track of their blood levels of testosterone and any bone fractures that occurred.

Low blood levels of testosterone were found to be linked with an increased risk for fracture in these men. After accounting for other factors known to affect the risk of fracture, including age, weight, BMD, fracture history, smoking status, and calcium intake, low testosterone remained an important risk factor.

Based on these findings, the authors conclude that low testosterone levels are a risk factor for fracture in men over 60. They suggest that physicians could use measures of blood levels of testosterone to help determine fracture risk in their male patients over 60.

Source: http://www.insidermedicine.ca/archives/Levels_of_Testosterone_Linked_to_Broken_Bones_in_Older_Men_2070.aspx

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Orthopedic Fractures

In orthopedic medicine, fractures are classified as closed or open (compound) and simple or multi-fragmentary (formerly comminuted).

Closed fractures are those in which the skin is intact, while open (compound) fractures involve wounds that communicate with the fracture and may expose bone to contamination. Open injuries carry an elevated risk of infection; they require antibiotic treatment and usually urgent surgical treatment (debridement). This involves removal of all dirt, contamination, and dead tissue.

Simple fractures are fractures that only occur along one line, splitting the bone into two pieces, while multi-fragmentary fractures involve the bone splitting into multiple pieces. A simple, closed fracture is much easier to treat and has a much better prognosis than an open, contaminated fracture. Other considerations in fracture care are displacement (fracture gap) and angulation. If angulation or displacement is large, reduction (manipulation) of the bone may be required and, in adults, frequently requires surgical care. These injuries may take longer to heal than injuries without displacement or angulation.

Another type of bone fracture is a compression fracture. An example of a compression fracture is when the front portion of a vertebra in the spine collapses due to osteoporosis, a medical condition which causes bones to become brittle and susceptible to fracture (with or without trauma).

Other types of fracture are:
• Complete Fracture - A fracture in which bone fragments separate completely.
• Incomplete Fracture - A fracture in which the bone fragments are still partially joined.
• Linear Fracture - A fracture that is parallel to the bone's long axis.
• Transverse Fracture - A fracture that is at a right angle to the bone's long axis.
• Oblique Fracture - A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
• Compression Fracture - A fracture that usually occurs in the vertebrae.
• Spiral Fracture - A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
• Comminuted Fracture - A fracture causing many fragments.
• Compacted Fracture - A fracture caused when bone fragments are driven into each other
• Open Fracture - A fracture when the bone reaches the skin

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_fracture

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Fractures (broken bones): First aid

A fracture is a broken bone. It requires medical attention. If the broken bone is the result of a major trauma or injury, call 911 or your local emergency number. Also call for emergency help if:

• The person is unresponsive, isn't breathing or isn't moving. Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if there's no respiration or heartbeat.
• There is heavy bleeding.
• Even gentle pressure or movement causes pain.
• The limb or joint appears deformed.
• The bone has pierced the skin.
• The extremity of the injured arm or leg, such as a toe or finger, is numb or bluish at the tip.
• You suspect a bone is broken in the neck, head or back.
• You suspect a bone is broken in the hip, pelvis or upper leg (for example, the leg and foot turn outward abnormally, compared with the uninjured leg).
Take these actions immediately while waiting for medical help:

• Stop any bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of clothing.
• Immobilize the injured area. Don't try to realign the bone, but if you've been trained in how to splint and professional help isn't readily available, apply a splint to the area.
• Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.
• Treat for shock. If the person feels faint or is breathing in short, rapid breaths, lay the person down with the head slightly lower than the trunk and, if possible, elevate the legs.

---

MORE ON THIS TOPIC
• Shock: First aid
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid
• Severe bleeding: First aid

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-fractures/FA00058

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Painkillers may prevent broken bones healing

Some painkilling drugs may delay or even prevent the healing of fractures, researchers have warned.

"It's time to tell the public," says Thomas Einhorn, an orthopaedic surgeon at Boston University Medical Center and also a paid consultant to Merck, which makes one of the drugs under scrutiny. "It would seem that a prudent approach is to temporarily avoid the use of these drugs during bone healing."

The main concern is the new generation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When Patrick O'Connor's team at the University of New Jersey gave these newer painkillers to rats their broken bones did not fully heal. Both drugs, Rofecoxib (sold as Vioxx) and Celecoxib (Celebrex), are often used to ease the pain of broken bones.

Merck, the maker of Rofecoxib, rejects the claim that healing could be impaired in people too. It pointed out a study on spinal fusion operations that found no bone healing problems in people given Rofecoxib. Celecoxib's maker Pharmacia did not respond to queries before New Scientist went to press.

Delay or block
But for over 20 years there have been occasional reports of impaired bone healing in patients taking NSAIDs. The issue may have escaped attention because the older generation of NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen and indomethacin, only appear to delay healing by a few weeks instead of blocking it. Aspirin is one of the few NSAIDs that appears to kill pain without this side effect.

"Ibuprofen and indomethacin delay bone healing by about one to two weeks in rats, which is the equivalent to slowing it down by 25 to 50 per cent in humans," says O'Connor. None of the rats treated with Rofecoxib managed to heal their bones. In those treated with Celecoxib, none managed to completely heal their bones but about half had some form of bone regrowth.

Traditional NSAIDs inhibit the enzymes cox-1 and cox-2. Cox-2 catalyses the production of hormone-like chemicals known as prostaglandins involved in inflammation, while cox-1 has a variety of roles not specific to the inflammatory response. Since the new generation of NSAIDs such as rofecoxib block cox-2 almost exclusively, it was hoped they would have fewer side effects.

But it now seems that cox-2 may be crucial in helping bone-forming stem cells and growth factors do their work. This area now needs to be investigated urgently, says Jeremy Saklatvala of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in London. "In the meantime, people with healing fractures should steer clear of these drugs."

Journal reference: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (vol 17, p 963)

Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2364-painkillers-may-prevent-broken-bones-healing.html

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Childhood Arthritis Raises Risk Of Broken Bones

Childhood arthritis increases the risk of fractures, particularly during adolescence, according to a large study of British patient records. The researchers say that more targeted treatments promoting bone health would benefit patients with childhood-onset arthritis throughout their lifespan.

In addition to raising the risk of fracture during childhood, the researchers also found that childhood-onset arthritis potentially heightens fracture risk after age 45.

A research team led by pediatric rheumatologist Jon M. Burnham, M.D., of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed the medical records of 1,959 patients in the United Kingdom who first experienced arthritis between ages one and 19. The researchers compared those patients to a larger control group of 207,000 patients in a primary care database.

The study appeared online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases on April 21. It was the first research to examine, in a population-based study, the risk of fractures in childhood arthritis patients.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), also called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is the most common pediatric rheumatic disease, affecting approximately one in 1,000 U.S. children. It was already known that low bone mass occurs in patients with JIA, because of risk factors such as chronic inflammation, delayed puberty, malnutrition, weakness, inactivity and treatment with steroid medications.

"The goal of this study was to determine if the bone abnormalities seen in JIA are clinically significant, resulting in higher fracture rates, and that is exactly what we found," said Dr. Burnham. "The low bone mass in JIA is associated with skeletal fragility, and causes both short-term and long-term health problems. Someone who fails to attain peak bone mass during adolescence and young adulthood is more vulnerable to fractures in later life, when bone mass inexorably declines."

Fractures are not unusual in healthy, active children, and the researchers compared the records of patients who had juvenile-onset arthritis with those of control subjects. Their data source was the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database, representing primary care records from 1987 to 2002.

The researchers found that 6.7 percent of patients with JIA sustained first fractures, compared to 3.3 percent of control subjects with first fractures, during an average follow-up period of four years. The comparative risk for patients with arthritis was highest at ages 10 to 15 and peaked again after age 45. Patients with arthritis were significantly more likely than controls to suffer fractures in their arm and leg bones.

Dr. Burnham added that the study findings should encourage physicians caring for children with arthritis to more closely monitor their patients for signs of osteoporosis, and to focus on nutritional steps that promote bone health, such as increasing regular intake of calcium and vitamin D.

Because bone health is affected by a combination of factors, including inflammation, inactivity, delayed puberty, impaired nutrition and the use of steroid medications, he added, further studies should concentrate on determining how JIA interacts with these risk factors, and how specific therapies might benefit JIA patients. Dr. Burnham is currently leading multidisciplinary research on bone and muscle strength in JIA and other inflammatory diseases.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/43062.php

Speeding Up The Healing Process

Healing a broken bone takes time, and many patients don't want to be patient! Healing a broken bone is a process related to factors including patient age, overall health, nutrition, blood flow to the bone, and treatment.

1. Stop Smoking:
Some of these recommendations may be controversial, or unknown the extent to which they affect bone healing. However, this much is clear. Patients who smoke, have a much longer average time to healing, and a much higher risk of developing a nonunion (non-healing of the bone). Smoking alters the blood flow to bone, and it is that blood flow that delivers the necessary nutrients and cells to allow the bone to heal.

2. Eat a Balanced Diet:
Healing of bone requires more nutrients that the body needs to simply maintain bone health. Patients with injuries should eat a balanced diet, and ensure adequate nutritional intake of all food groups.

3. Watch Your Calcium:
Patients with broken bones tend to focus on this one, and I place it below balanced diet, because the focus should be on all nutrients. It's true that calcium is needed to heal bones, but taking excessive doses of calcium will not help you heal faster.

Ensure you are consuming the recommended dose of calcium, and if not, try to consume more natural calcium -- or consider a supplement. Taking mega-doses of calcium does not help a bone heal faster.

4. Adhere to Your Treatment Plan:
Your doctor will recommend a treatment, and you should adhere to this. Your doctor may recommend treatments including cast, surgery, crutches, or others. Altering the treatment ahead of scedule may delay your recovery. By removing a cast or walking on a broken bone before your doctor allows, you may be delaying your healing time.

5. Ask Your Doctor:
There are some fractures that may have treatment alternatives. For example, "Jones" fractures of the foot are a conroversial treatment area. Studies have shown these fractures usually heal with immobilization in a cast and crutches. However, many doctors will offer surgery for these fractures because patients tend to heal much faster.

Surgery creates potential risks, so these options much be weighed carefully. However, there may be options which alter the time it takes for a bone to heal.

6. Augmenting Fracture Healing:
Most often, external devices are not too helpful in accelerating fracture healing. The following devices have not been shown to accelerate the healing of most fractures. However, in difficult situations, these may be helpful to aid in healing of broken bones:

* Electrical Stimulation
* Ultrasound Treatment
* Magnets

Full article: http://orthopedics.about.com/od/castsfracturetreatments/ht/quickly.htm

Broken bones set right by herbal medicine

What could be more miraculous for those with fractures who can be cured without painful surgery through Ayurveda? Sounds interesting!

A bone-healing centre in Tamil Nadu state is gaining popularity among orthopaedic patients who believe that traditional therapy has miraculous healing powers.

A family runs the clinic located at Puttur, 100 km away from Chennai, for over 125 years, where the traditional doctors heal the patient.

Having satisfied with the therapy Hameed, one of the patients said, "I met with an accident two years ago and fractured my thigh. I immediately came for this treatment. I got treatment for six weeks and now I am cured and alright."

This miraculous treatment has made the family a household name and patients not only from the State but also from the neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnatka and Kerala regularly visit the clinic.

Gopala Raju who discovered a medicinal plant by chance set up the clinic in 1881. He experimented the medicine on a rabbit whose back was broken and after that started treating patients from nearby villages, which include mostly labourers from construction sites and poor children.

Subramaniyaraj, a doctor at the clinic said, "We are running the clinic for past 125 years, and I belong to the fifth generation. Our treatment is for 45 days and we apply herbs and eggs as medicines. After three bandages, the patient is cured."

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=2ed10d82-81aa-4ff6-a0a7-28756e0f846d&ParentID=609e7b1b-8513-42ef-aab2-ad5946a78f77&MatchID1=4604&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=7&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1157&MatchID2=4575&TeamID3=8&TeamID4=2&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1147&PrimaryID=4604&Headline=Broken+bones+set+right+by+herbal+medicine

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Depression Raises Osteoporosis Risk For Premenopausal Women

A woman who suffers from depression is more likely to reach the menopause with a higher risk of bone fractures (osteoporosis), compared to a woman who does not have depression. In a study published inArchives of Internal Medicine it was found that 17% of women with depression had less bone mass in a section of their hip, called the femoral neck, compared to 2% of women who did not have depression.

Low bone mass in the lumbar spine was found in 20% of depressed women, compared to 9% of non-depressed women. An X-ray technique called DXA scanning was used to measure bone mass.

The researchers, from the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) explained that women with depression have immune systems which are overactive. Their bodies overproduce a chemical that leads to bone loss - this chemical, known as IL-6, also promotes inflammation.

The study involved 133 women, 89 depressed and 44 non-depressed. They were aged 21-45. All the women had the same risk factors, with the exception of depression. They had similar intakes of calcium, caffeine, alcohol - their use of tobacco was also similar, as were their levels of physical fitness, use of oral contraceptives, and their age of first menstrual period.

The scientists found that the hip bones of depressed women were especially susceptible to thinning - these bones fracture more frequently among older people with osteoporosis. The lower bone mass puts the patient at higher risk of costly, and sometimes fatal fractures.

NIMH Deputy Director Richard Nakamura, PhD, said "Osteoporosis is a silent disease. Too often, the first symptom a clinician sees is when a patient shows up with a broken bone. Now we know that depression can serve as a red flag - that depressed women are more likely than other women to approach menopause already at higher risk of fractures."

During our youth bone mass reaches its peak - after that it continues slowly thinning for the rest of our lives, thinning at a faster rate after a woman's menopause, the researchers explained. The authors stressed that the factor linking premenopausal osteoporosis risk in their study was definitely depression.

There was no association between the severity of depression and the amount of bone mass loss.

The immune-system imbalance experienced by some depressed women may be linked to excessive adrenalin, the researchers say. It is well know that depressed people produce more adrenalin - adrenalin can over-stimulate the immune system.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91132.php

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Any old broken bone could mean osteoporosis

No matter the circumstances, if you're 65 or older and break a bone, your risk of having osteoporosis and suffering more fractures is greater than that of someone who has yet to break a bone after his 65th birthday, scientists report today.

Their finding contradicts the widely held belief that only bones broken in a fall from a standing height or lower are related to the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. Bones broken in falls from greater heights or in car crashes, so-called high-trauma fractures, don't count as red flags for osteoporosis, although there is little scientific evidence to support that view.

One of the main problems is that the concept of high trauma is fuzzy, says lead author Dawn Mackey. The magnitude, velocity and direction of the force applied to bone can vary from car crash to car crash and fall to fall, so the impact on bone of low-speed collisions isn't necessarily greater than the impact on bone of slipping on ice and hitting the pavement, Mackey's team writes. Yet the former is generally considered high trauma, while the latter is not.

The researchers analyzed data from two studies. One followed 8,022 women for about nine years; the other followed 5,995 men for about five years. All were at least 65 at the start.

Overall, 264 women's and 94 men's first broken bones were considered to be high-trauma fractures, while 3,211 women's and 346 men's first broken bones were low-trauma ones.

Whether their first fractures were high or low trauma, women who'd broken a bone were about a third more likely to sustain another fracture during the course of the study than women who did not have an initial fracture. In addition, the scientists write in the Journal of the American Medical Association, women who sustained either high-trauma or low-trauma fractures were equally likely to have low bone-mineral density, considered the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis.

Although there were too few fractures among the men to quantify the risk of another fracture, the authors observed similar trends.

But the presumption, Mackey says, has been that anyone, weak bones or not, could suffer a fracture in a car crash or a fall from a ladder. When you break a bone in that kind of an accident, you've earned it, or so many doctors believe, says Mackey, an epidemiologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco.

As a result, she says, older people who have a high-trauma fracture don't receive the same sort of workup for osteoporosis that, say, peers who slip on the ice and break a hip do. Doctors don't think osteoporosis drugs can prevent high-trauma fractures. And clinical trials of drugs designed to treat osteoporosis may be overlooking valuable information by ignoring such fractures.

"Fractures previously defined as due to high trauma, such as those from a blunt injury in a motor vehicle crash or a fall from a chair, can no longer be dismissed as being unrelated to osteoporosis," Mayo Clinic osteoporosis researcher Sundeep Khosla writes in an accompanying editorial.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-27-osteoporosis_N.htm?csp=34