Caption

Collapsed spine in osteoporosis. Elderly man with severe kyphoscoliosis (curvature of the spine) due to a collapsed vertebra due to osteoporosis (loss of bone mass). Kyphoscoliosis is both sideways and hunched curvature of the spine, though the hunched curvature is most clearly seen here. The vertebrae are the bones that make up the spine. The spine is the central supporting structure of the skeleton. It is thought that the osteoporosis in this case may have been induced by steroid drugs prescribed for the patient. Long-term steroid use is known to inhibit the formation of new bone.