ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by a low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue followed by enhanced bone fragility and a consequent increase in fracture risk.1 From epidemiological surveys, osteoporosis may be estimated to be the most prevalent metabolic bone disease in Europe.2 It is the level of the peak bone mass obtained in young adults and the bone loss subsequent to menopause that additively contributes to the development of osteoporosis, and the measurement methods used in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring aim to assess these two factors.1 All currently available therapies focus on the inhibition or reversal of bone loss, since no intervention has so far demonstrated the potential to manipulate peak bone mass.
