Review
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Dec 18, 2012; 3(12): 223-234
Published online Dec 18, 2012. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v3.i12.223
Male osteoporosis: A review
Antonio Herrera, Antonio Lobo-Escolar, Jesús Mateo, Jorge Gil, Elena Ibarz, Luis Gracia
Antonio Herrera, Antonio Lobo-Escolar, Jesús Mateo, Jorge Gil, Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Miguel Servet University Hospital, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Elena Ibarz, Luis Gracia, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Author contributions: All the authors contributed to the conception and design of the work, revised carefully the content and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Antonio Herrera, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Avda Isabel la Católica, 1, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. aherrera@salud.aragon.es
Telephone: +34-976-765664 Fax: +34-976-765652
Received: June 26, 2012
Revised: November 19, 2012
Accepted: December 6, 2012
Published online: December 18, 2012
Abstract

Osteoporosis in men is a heterogeneous disease that has received little attention. However, one third of worldwide hip fractures occur in the male population. This problem is more prevalent in people over 70 years of age. The etiology can be idiopathic or secondary to hypogonadism, vitamin D deficiency and inadequate calcium intake, hormonal treatments for prostate cancer, use of toxic and every disease or drug use that alters bone metabolism.

Risk factors such as a previous history of fragility fracture should be assessed for the diagnosis. However, risk factors in men are very heterogeneous. There are significant differences in the pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis between men and women fundamentally due to the level of evidence in published trials supporting each treatment. New treatments will offer new therapeutic prospects. The goal of this work is a revision of the present status knowledge about male osteoporosis.

Keywords: Male osteoporosis; Skeleton involution; Etiology; Fracture risk; Osteoporosis; Non-pharmacological treatments; Pharmacological treatments