X

Why bones break more easily after 50 (video)

A scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory seeks to discover why bones deteriorate as they age in the hopes of finding more effective ways to make them stronger.

CNET News staff

Here's some bone-chilling news: The chance of breaking a bone increases significantly after age 50, especially for women. We know bones lose mass as they age. However, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says what makes them become brittle is more complicated than that.

Robert Ritchie, a materials scientist at the lab, is trying to figure out why bones break so easily in older adults. While a lot of work has been done looking at the loss of quantity of bone, Ritchie and his team are focusing on another issue: quality. Specifically, how bones deteriorate. SmartPlanet interviewed Ritchie about his research.

This video first appeared at SmartPlanet under the headline "Ghoulish reasons why bones break easily after 50"

More from SmartPlanet