ABSTRACT
With an aging population around the world, osteoporotic and osteolytic vetrebral compression fractures are increasingly common. Peak bone mass is obtained by age 35, after which all individuals lose a small amount each year. Half of all women older than 65 have radiographic evidence of osteoporosis, and 90% are affected by age 75. The most serious consequence of osteoporosis is the occurrence of pathological fracture, In the past, osteoporotic compression fractures were often treated with benign neglect, whereas much attention had been paid to the management of osteoporotic hip fractures. The irony is that the number of osteoporotic compression fractures per year in the United States far exceed the number of osteoporotic hip fractures (1).
