Osteoporotic bone

Osteoporosis is a condition, usually associated with post-menopausal women, where the bones become thin and weak, and break easily. This sample shows the fourth lumbar vertebra of an 89 year old woman with osteoporosis showing very thin, and some fractured trabeculae. This SEM image has been reconstructed from a series of images in different focal planes to give a completely focused picture of the bone.