“In Australia, every 3.6 minutes, someone is admitted to hospital with an osteoporotic fracture. By 2022 there will be 1 fracture every 2.9 minutes”
Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become fragile and brittle, leading to a higher risk of fractures (breaks or cracks) than in normal bone.
Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, leading to a loss of bone thickness (bone mass or density). As a result, bones become thinner and less dense, so that even a minor bump or accident can cause serious fractures. These are known as fragility or minimal trauma fractures.
Any bone can be affected by osteoporosis, but the most common sites are bones in the hip, spine, wrist, ribs, pelvis and upper arm. Osteoporosis usually has no signs or symptoms until a fracture happens – this is why osteoporosis is often called the ‘silent disease’.
The Bone Bus is a mobile bone densitometry service. They provide an accurate, reliable and precise bone mineral density measurement service. Patients do not need to travel to a major hospital or radiology lab to have their bone density measured. They can complete the assessment and return the report promptly (via Healthlink) –all from their comfortable, mobile lab equipped with a State-of-the-art bone densitometer (DEXA) that is operated by specially trained and certified Bone Bus technologists. This is completed whilst being parked right in front of our practice. If you are over 70 and have never had a bone mineral density test please contact the practice on 4421 4422 to discuss this with your doctor.
