ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis may be the end result of a number of pathological processes (Table 4.1). Bone loss commences in both men and women during the fourth decade of life. There are two principal reasons for this bone loss:
¦ progressive decline in the responsiveness of the osteoblast to mechanical stimuli, and
¦ a gradual reduction in the efficiency of calcium absorption which results in secondary hyperparathyroidism and increased osteoclastic bone resorption.
