Age-related changes in the human musculoskeletal system usually go in 2 directions:

1. Dystrophic-destructive processes in the spine, bones and ligamentous apparatus with a predominance of osteoporosis (bone thinning).

2. Compensatory-adaptive reactions of the organism in response to the ongoing changes. This is manifested by a change in the shape of the vertebrae and curvature of the spine and a change in the thickness of the articular cartilage.

The most significant change that occurs in the bone tissue of an elderly person is osteoporosis, a rarefaction of bone tissue that increases with each passing decade.

With age, the amount of bone tissue (silicon) in the bones decreases, they become brittle and brittle.

Patients with developed osteoporosis usually complain of fatigue, general weakness, pain in the back, lower back and all joints. The pain is especially aggravated by prolonged sitting or standing. When checking the strength of the femur of an elderly and young person, it was revealed that the femur of an old person is destroyed under a load 2-3 times less than the bone of a young person. Therefore, in the elderly, fractures occur much more often than in young people, and for one fracture in men aged 65-70, there are four fractures in women.

With osteoporosis, profound violations of protein-mineral metabolism occur, the functions of bone hematopoiesis and the accumulation of salts of mineral substances (calcium, sodium, phosphorus, etc.) are significantly reduced. All this violates the mineralization, and consequently, the strengthening of the bones.

With age, in patients suffering from osteoporosis, the height of the vertebral bodies decreases and the concavity of the end bone plates increases. There is a disproportion between the position of both individual vertebrae and components of the same vertebra.

Gradually, the bone marrow canal expands, the interosseous septa become thinner, which leads to even greater smoothing of the vertebrae.

In the region of the upper shoulder girdle, osteoporosis most often captures the region of the large tubercle of the humerus and the phalanx of the hand.

In the region of the lower extremities, the femur, patella, fibula and tibia are primarily affected by bone thinning. At the age of 70, changes in the bone tissue of the lower belt occur in 100%.