Annual Incidence of Fractures in Three Most Common Sites ¹

Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually including 300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and 300,000 fractures at other sites. ¹

Approximately 40 percent of all white women and 13 percent of white men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture at some point during their life. By extreme old age, one-third of women and one-sixth of men will experience the most devastating type of osteoporosis: fracture of the hip.^{2 3} Because of the aging population, the incidence of osteoporotic fractures is expected to increase threefold over the next 60 years.

Incidence by Age

Incidence per 100,000 person years
	AGE

The incidence of vertebral fractures increases exponentially after about age 50. Even though the spine is the most common site of osteoporotic fractures, about half of individuals with radiographic evidence of vertebral fractures do not have any recollection of back pain. Wrist, or "Colles'" fractures increase in the perimenopausal years, then plateau after about age 65. The plateau may be due to a lower rate of falling on an outstretched hand as women age, due to a decrease in reflex speed. Hip fractures increase at an exponential rate late in life.^{4, 5}