What is ostopenia?

My dad was in a car wreck July 10, and was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra. He recently has been told he would need a new procedure to correct the problem. He will be having the balloon procedure done. With the surgery being delayed for 3 months, will the success rate be higher or lower?

I am a 42 year old male and have been told I have osteoporosis. My T-scores are -1.6 in L1, -2.3 in L2, -2.9 in L3, -3.5 in L4 and L2-L4 -2.9. I also have ostepenia in my left femur (-1.2). Several years ago I had a fusion at C6-C7 after a sneeze ruptured my disk. I also have diagnosed arthritis and fibromyalgia. My blood work is negative. I don’t understand why this is happening to me. My Dr. has put me on Fosomax but we don’t know why this is occuring. Should I just take the fosomax and see what happens or should further testing be done to determine why I have these problems? I’m concerned that something else is occuring in my body. What do you suggest?

Can a person do moderate or lite exercise as with surgical tubing to provide some resistance.Will it help to increase bone mass?

I have had RA for about 6 years on mtx 15, pred 3 mg, plaq 400 mg and various other nsaids, along with vitamins including 1200 mg of calcium a day. Last December 2002 I had a dexa scan which showed a T-score of -0.61 (94% of young normal values) and Z-score of +0.14 (102% of age match normal values in the lumbar spine and pelvis. I have been having very severe lower back pain and pain in my hips for the past three months…thought maybe it was a new mattress problem, as my right hip would be totally numb and very painful when I would wake up. I moved to the sofa. I went and saw my internist who order Lumbar spine x-rays and pelvis x-rays. I have severe osteoarthritis at L5 with facet hypertrophy throughout the lower spine. Pelvis ok. But, the worse part is my spine has moderate osteoporosis. L3 thorugh 5 have no trabecula left and are very transparent. My question is how can someone with such a great Dexa just 13 months ago, go to plain films like this? I am 51 and have been trying to get through menopause this past year, with very irregular periods. I take no hormones. There is no family history of osteoporosis. My estrogen level in October was normal. Thank you for your time.

My GP says do not take Estrogen but my Gyn says keep taking a small dosage. What does the most recent study say?