Background: The accrual of bone mineral at growth and the age related bone loss influence who will develop osteoporosis and fractures. But also skeletal architecture influence bone strength and muscle function determine who will fall. Thus, it is imperative to determine regulation and interventions that could improve each trait and identify risk factors for fractures.

Project and preliminary results: Secular changes of fractures in children and elderly are followed in regional and national registers. Bone and muscle trait evaluations are done in several population-based cohorts of children, adolescents, adults and elderly now followed for 10-40 years by bone scanning, neuromuscular tests, anthropometry, fall frequency and fracture registration.
Data has shown that hip fracture incidence has decreased while proximal humeral fractures have increased, but the total number of fractures has increased. Fracture incidence in children has also increased. This urge for new prediction taking both changes in fracture incidence and demography into account. Daily physical training at growth enhances bone mass, bone size, reduces overweight, reduce fracture risk and improves school grades. Benefits remains in adulthood. Clinical functional tests could in old men identify fallers with and without fractures

Aim: 1) study regulation and how to modify bone mass, skeletal architecture, muscle function and adiposity during growth and ageing; 2) evaluate risk factors and prognostic factors for osteoporosis, fall and fractures; 3) evaluate if benefits achieved by interventions remains in a long term perspective; 4) follow fracture epidemiology to improve projections for the future.

Significance: Our studies increase the understanding of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, improve our ability to target risk individuals, improve the prediction of fracture in the future and identify beneficial intervention strategies.