Silent osteoporosis in association with other orthopedic diseases

Abstract EN

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease.

It is a major global health problem that increases dramatically as people getting older than before because of good health services.

The aim of the study is to assess how far osteoporosis is associated with orthopedic diseases and to increase the awareness in the mind of orthopedic surgeons for osteoporosis in patients who are not suspected apparently to have this disease.

A sample of 522 patients referred to Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) clinic by orthopedic surgeons or rheumatologists was taken during a seven months period, in two centers, Basrah, 259 patients and Mosul, 263 patients.

All the patients had back pain, joint pain, bone pain, fracture or other musculoskeletal complains.

The only method used to assess osteoporosis in our patients was the DXA scan.

Of the total 522 patients, the results of DXA scan was normal in 136 patients (26%), osteopenia in 178 patients (34%), and osteoporosis in 208 patients (40%).

Back pain was the main cause of referral 184 (35%), followed by joint pain 138 (26.5%), bone pain 74 (14%), fracture 28 (5.5%), and others 98 (19%).

In conclusion, osteoporosis may be a silent disease, even in patients with complains like joint pain, bone pain, or radicular symptoms.