title: [The natural development of osteoporosis. 30 patients with a median follow-up of 11 years].
abstract: The authors present a sketch of the natural development of osteoporosis based on a retrospective study over a mean period of eleven years of 30 osteoporotic subjects (23 females, 7 males) who had received little or no treatment. Development was rapid during the three years following diagnosis, as was shown by the annual number of attacks of acute spinal pain, months of functional handicap and vertebral compression fractures, as well as by changes in size and the two vertebral radiologic indices used. Development slowed after the fourth year, but subsequent deterioration was unaffected. This spontaneous change seemed to depend less on etiological factors than on a decrease in bone mass to below the threshold at which fractures may develop. Slowed development of osteoporosis after the fourth year appeared to be due to an adaptation of the subject's way of life to the fragility of the spine. The results of treatment and monitoring of three years or less should be viewed in light of this slowed osteoporotic development.
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Contribution à la connaissance de l'évolution naturelle de l'ostéoporose. 30 malades avec un recul moyen de 11 ans.