Question

79 year old Senora Oztiohpurroses was the front seat passenger in a car accident. Because her seat belt and airbag did not function, her body hit the dashboard causing a fracture to her right superior pubic ramus. Subsequently during her stay in the hospital, she developed pneumonia and suffered fractures in bilateral posterior false ribs and her T12-L1 vertebral bodies due to coughing.

Why might her axial bones have fractured so easily? In your answer, include terms referring to the matrix and referring to at least one type of bone cell.

Answer 1

(Her name gives away the answer :) )

Senora O. is an old woman who must be menopausal according to her age. Menopausal women are known to be deficient in estrogen which decreases the apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteoclasts while increasing the apoptosis of osteoclasts. It also protects the blasts and cytes from oxidative stress and thus renders a protective effect. The patient is suffering from menopause related osteoporosis which makes her vulnerable to fractures.

pneumonia is often seen in patients with broken ribs