ABSTRACT
The key clinical outcome of osteoporosis is fracture, and as outlined in Chapter 2, fractures constitute a major public health problem. This chapter will review the pathophysiology of osteoporosis by considering the structure of bone as a tissue; the function of bone cells (osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteocytes); and an understanding of the control mechanisms of calcium homeostasis, and the way in which derangements of these lead to osteoporosis.
