Treatment of osteoporosis.

In type I ("postmenopausal") osteoporosis, there is an excess loss of trabecular bone, resulting in fractures of the wrist and vertebrae. This type of osteoporosis occurs mainly in women 50 to 65 years of age. In either men or women over the age of 75 years, cortical and trabecular bone is lost, resulting in hip fractures; this is termed type II ("senile") osteoporosis. This article considers the treatment of established type I osteoporosis associated with vertebral fractures, the type of osteoporosis commonly encountered in clinical practice.