In the past decades osteoporosis has been recognized as an important public health problem.
Several causes for this problem can be pointed out. The most probable cause for the
development of osteoporosis is the loss of ovarian function in women and the increasing age
of people, thereby increasing the incidence of osteoporosis. Other causes or risk factors for
the development of osteoporosis are immobilization and dietary deficiencies. Finally, the
outcome of osteoporosis is an increased risk for the development of fractures (chapter 1.3).
The terminology associated with osteoporosis was developed in the nineteenth century by
German pathologists to distinguish diseases of bone. Pommer stated in 1926 that in
osteoporosis the formation of bone by osteoblasts was not able to replace the bone resorbed
by osteoclasts. Pommer performed extensive histomorphometric analysis of bone, thereby
distinguishing various forms of osteoporosis (senile, immobility), osteomalacia and osteitis
fibrosa cystica