Osteoporosis or thinning of the bones affects over 10 million Americans. It is a silent disease, meaning most patients don’t have any symptoms—until they break a bone. People with osteoporosis are at high risk for breaking bones and often have trouble healing bone injuries. As your orthopedic specialists we are trying hard to keep your bones as healthy as possible. We are excited to announce that we are now offering a Bone Health and Osteoporosis Clinic for our patients. The clinic is available for anyone with risk factors for osteoporosis and for patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis. Patients will meet in the Greensboro Murphy Wainer office with Dr. Bassett to discuss their bone health and will be set up for appropriate testing and treatment. The risk factors for osteoporosis are listed below. If you think you might be at risk, call and make an appointment with Dr. Bassett.

• Female over age 65 • Male over age 70 • Post-menopausal or early menopause • Broken bone over age 50 • History of multiple broken bones or breaking a bone without trauma • Family history of osteoporosis, hip fracture or fragility fracture o Ethnicity: Caucasians and Asians have the highest risk • Diet low in calcium and vitamin D • History of prednisone use or other steroids • Smoking • Alcohol intake of more than 1-2 drinks/day

Please bring an updated medication list with you to your appointment. If you have had a Bone Density test or recent Vitamin D test, bring those as well.