Osteopenia In Female Athletes, What Are The Health Risks? - Dr. Weber (VIDEO)

Dr. Weber:

So we talk about female athlete triad and we talk about the eating disorders, the amenorrhea and the osteoporosis. Actually, osteopenia is becoming a bigger problem in the female athlete. We are seeing young female athletes with low bone density, and the concern is, is that with this low bone density, when they are really supposed to be developing their bone banks for the future, they are starting at a lower level than they should be for their age. And so, our concern is that we are going to see more stress fractures. Potentially we will see injuries and fractures at earlier ages in this population, and the biggest concern is, we don’t know whether it’s actually, totally correctable.

So they may lose some of their normal bone density, start out at low level, and then despite whatever they do, they tend not to be able to get back to the normal level that they should be for their age.

About Dr. Weber, M.D.:
Dr. Kathy Weber, the Director of Primary Care/Sports Medicine and Women's Sports Medicine at Rush University Medical Center, possesses a unique expertise with the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal issues. Dr. Weber received her M.D. from Rush Medical College in 1996 and subsequently completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center. After completing her residency, Dr. Weber was asked to remain at Rush for an additional year to assume the prestigious position of Chief Resident of Internal Medicine. She then completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of California Medical Center in San Diego.

Visit Dr. Weber at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush

Average Select ratingPoorFairAverageGoodExcellent

 

Rate This

More on This

• Are You Waking Your Child At Night? - HER Week In Health
• Understanding Shoulder Mobility
• Choosing the Right Orthopedic Surgeon
• Diagnosing Shoulder Injuries

Around the Web

Tags

• Bones & Joints
• Osteopenia