Transcript: Although millions of people have osteoporosis, most are not aware how the complications of the disease can affect them, often for life.  People who have the weak, thin bones characteristic of osteoporosis often suffer at least one serious break, or bone fracture. While a broken bone may sound straightforward, the aftermath can be anything but! Because most people with osteoporosis are over the age of 50, healing from a broken bone is more difficult. In fact, two thirds of those who suffer fractures never regain full mobility.  Osteoporosis-related fractures can occur anywhere, but the hips, wrists and vertebrae, or spine, are most often affected.  The most common fracture suffered by people with osteoporosis is in the spinal area. Vertebrae fractures are usually not the result of a traumatic accident.  Rather, the normal acts of everyday life, like coughing or bending over, often cause these breaks. Unlike other fractures, where a bone snaps, vertebral fractures usually manifest as a crumpling, or compression, of the spine. For this reason, they do not usually cause severe, or any, pain.  Because discomfort is slight, or feels like normal back pain, spinal fractures are often not diagnosed until posture begins to stoop, and height is gradually lost.  Fractures in the vertebrae can also cause a gradual rounding of the back, known as dowager’s hump. Most people with vertebral fractures have more than one, and as the number increases, so do the problems. The abdominal muscles begin to sag, and the space between the ribs and the pelvis closes. This can lead to difficulty breathing, chronic heartburn and digestive problems.  The most serious fractures generally occur in the hip. About one in five osteoporosis-related fractures are in this region.  At best, a hip fracture can result in a temporary loss of mobility and confinement to a wheelchair or bed. More often, the effects are longer lasting. At least two thirds of people who suffer hip fractures have difficulty with everyday tasks, like standing up on their own or dressing themselves. Due to this decreased mobility, many people with a hip fracture end up needing home health care, or a move to an assisted living facility.  Scarily, statistics show that almost 25 percent of osteoporosis patients who suffer hip fractures will die within a year of their injury, usually from complications like blood clots or pneumonia.  Wrist fractures, which usually occur when a person tries to absorb the force of a fall, are the most common breaks. The most common wrist fracture, Colles’ fracture, occurs when the force of impact snaps the end of the radius bone, which runs from the elbow to the thumb.  After a wrist fracture, a cast or splint is applied and the bone is allowed to heal. Usually, broken wrists provide no further complications. Because osteoporosis has no symptoms, it is usually not diagnosed until after a fracture occurs. For this reason, it is particularly important to talk to your doctor about osteoporosis.