Osteoporosis is a bone condition which occurs when bones lose their strength and thickness, this is due to loss of minerals such as calcium at a rate higher than the body can replace. The bones, especially in the hip, spine and wrist, become less dense, more fragile and can break more easily.
Bones are living tissues that are continuously being broken down and replaced. In the early years of life, more bone is made than is broken down, and therefore any bone loss is quickly replaced. Our bone growth is completed at around 30 years of age, and therefore as we get older more bone gets lost than the body can replace.