Early Onset Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, which means "porous bone," defines a condition of bone fragility that leads to increased risk of fracture. It typically affects people over age 50 and is much less common in young adults. Early-Onset Osteoporosis occurs when fragility fractures start in childhood or in adults under age 50.

What are the Causes and Risk Factors?

Bone fragility is related to reduced bone density and/or bone quality. Some patients have an underlying medical condition or medication exposure that has hurt their skeleton. Such conditions include:

• Childhood or genetic conditions affecting skeletal growth.
• Inflammatory autoimmune conditions (e.g., rheumatologic or gastrointestinal conditions).
• Long-term treatment with glucocorticoids (steroids).
• Conditions causing malabsorption, such as celiac disease.
• Conditions causing calcium loss in the urine.

What is Pregnancy and Lactation Associated Osteoporosis (PLO)?

PLO is a rare condition where women develop fractures (typically in the spine) during late pregnancy or during lactation. Most women with PLO have not been previously diagnosed and never had a bone assessment prior to the onset of symptoms.

The Early-Onset Osteoporosis Center continually builds upon knowledge acquired through research to provide individualized, state-of-the-art clinical evaluation for patients with PLO. 

Additional Resources:

• Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF)
• NIH Resources: Pregnancy, Lactation and Bone Health