Page 12 - Inspire Health March/April 2017

Minding A By Linda Doell
s men and women age, they
’dem bones: become more susceptible
Women at higher risk to conditions brought on
for osteoporosis by age. Women in particular are at a
higher risk of developing osteoporosis
— a thinning of the bones — as well as
hip fractures and knee injuries including
ligament tears.

While there are some things you can
do to safeguard against osteoporosis,
including making sure to get enough
calcium in your diet and exercise, it’s also
important to work with your doctor to
monitor bone density.

Dr. William De Long, chairman,
Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine,
St. Luke’s University Health Network,
says St. Luke’s participates in the
American Orthopaedic Association’s
Own the Bone program, which tracks
bone density levels nationwide and helps
hospitals and doctors identify, evaluate
and treat patients over age 50 who suffer
fragility fractures.

According to the association, at least
44 million Americans are affected by
osteoporosis or low bone density.

De Long says the program helps
doctors measure how many patients are
getting follow-through treatment and
arranges the best possible care for them.

Unfortunately, the majority of patients
suffering from bone fragility are women,
he says. Hip injuries, including fractures,
are common. If the osteoporosis is
very bad, even the simple movement of
walking can cause a fracture, he says.

“People who have thin bones like
this sometime suffer a compression
fracture of their spine as well,” he says.
Depending on the injury and patient,
healing time could be six to 12 weeks.

Hips aren’t the only joint that breaks
down as we age.

“Men and women get wear and tear on
their knees as they age, women especially,”
says St. Luke’s orthopedic surgeon
Jennifer Banzhof. “As women go through
menopause, estrogen levels drop and
estrogen can be protective of cartilage, so
there is wear to our cartilage as well.”