Giuseppe Guglielmi
Editor

2013

Osteoporosis is a disease which is associated with an extraordinary burden for the healthcare systems. As pointed out in this book, the costs for hip fractures in the elderly are already comparable to those of myocardial infarction. Mortality following hip fractures is similar to that of breast cancer. Vertebral, wrist, and humeral fractures due to osteoporosis are also major healthcare issues which greatly reduce the quality of life of the affected patients.