Structural and material changes of human cortical bone with age: Lessons from the melbourne femur research collection

Abstract

Age-related bone diseases, such as osteoporosis (OP), have a detrimental impact on individuals and society. One in ten people who suffer an osteoporotic hip fracture will die soon after the event, and at least a further 50% will suffer from chronic debility and deterioration in their quality of life. The cost of hip fractures to the Australian community (a relatively small population of only 24million people) was estimated at AUD 600 million in 2017 and the situation continues to get rapidly worse as the population ages. In order to address this problem bone research has pursued several avenues to better understand age-related changes of the skeleton and the effects of therapeutic interventi..