Physiopathology and etiology of osteoporosis.

Most of the research on osteoporosis has concentrated on the etiology of the decrease in bone mass. One of several important factors is bone fragility. Genetic and racial factors are important but are modified by environmental factors such as dietary calcium, body weight, and physical activity. Methods of bone mass measurement currently available show some overlap between bone mass in osteoporotic patients who have sustained fractures and normal persons without fractures. However, these methods do have a predictive value in determining a person's risk of future fractures (in the spine or elsewhere).