What is it?

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become thin, weak, and break easily. Although you can break a bone in any part of your body, the most common broken bones are the spine, wrist, or hip.

Osteoporosis is called a "silent disease". You can't feel or see your bones getting thinner. Many people do not even know that they have thin bones until a bone breaks. A broken bone can interfere with your daily activities and can have serious consequences.

Graphic used with permission of David Dempster, PhD