ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis is a devastating disease that affects more than 10 million people in the U.S., with annual costs in excess of $13.5 billion.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, by the year 2020, 50% of all Americans older than 50 years will be at risk of an osteoporotic fragility fracture. Approximately 1.66 million hip fractures occur each year worldwide,
and that the incidence is set to increase fourfold by 2050 because of the increasing numbers of older people and because the age-adjusted incidence rates are many times higher in affluent developed countries than in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
