Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis: correlations between two clinical entities

Osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) are two common muscoloskeletal diseases, especially in the elderly, which have a significant socio-economic impact. Both conditions are multi-factorial. OP is a systemic disease of the skeleton characterized by reduced mass and qualitative alterations of the bone, leading to increased risk of fracture; OA is an imbalance in tissue homeostasis, which leads to cartilage deterioration, sclerosis of subchondral bone and osteophytosis.