Animation: osteoporosis and hip fracture
View our animation to see how osteoporosis can lead to a hip fracture. Use the ‘Next’ navigation button to move through the scenes, and the ‘Play again’ navigation button to review scenes. You can also use the pause and play buttons to control how quickly you move through the animation.
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes your bones to become weak and prone to fractures. The bones that tend to be most susceptible to fractures are the spine, the ends of the femurs (thigh bones) at the hips, and the wrists. Hip fractures, which usually occur after a fall, are one of the most serious types of fracture.
Your thigh bones are made up of cortical bone and spongy bone (also called trabecular or cancellous bone). In people with osteoporosis, the structure of the inner, spongy bone becomes weaker because it contains less calcium and other minerals. The outer shell of cortical bone may also become thinner.
There are several risk factors that put people with osteoporosis at higher risk of falling and breaking a bone. These include:
Following a fall, the most common places for hip fractures to occur are the neck of the femur (thigh bone) and the intertrochanteric region of the femur.
You can help prevent osteoporosis by:
- keeping active with regular weight-bearing exercise (e.g. walking);
- getting adequate calcium and vitamin D in your diet;
- not smoking; and
- reducing your alcohol and caffeine intake.
Last Reviewed: 10 October 2006
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