Does low bone density cause fractures?
Low bone density alone does not cause fractures. Your bones have plenty of surplus bone mass to allow for loss of bone density without necessarily causing fracture. For example research shows that a severely osteoporotic vertebra with only 50% of its normal amount of bone is still architecturally strong enough to withstand five times its normal strain load. Low bone density is more likely to contribute to a fracture when the bone is also of poor quality. Bone quality depends on the self-repair mechanism of bone. In healthy bone, microfractures are continuously being repaired, old bone is removed, and stronger bone is formed in its place. Thin bone combined with poor bone self-repair is most likely to contribute to fracture.
