A fragility fracture is one that occurs as a result of a fall from standing height or less. There are three fracture sites said to be typical of fragility fractures: vertebral fractures, fractures of the neck of the femur and Colles fracture of the wrist. This definition arises because a normal human being ought to be able to fall from standing height without breaking any bones, and a fracture therefore suggests weakness of the skeleton. As long as other pathologies are excluded (for example, cancer), then a fragility fracture is diagnostic of osteoporosis irrespective of bone mineral density.

Diseases