Osteoporosis: Two-Volume Set, 3rd ed.
R. Marcus, D. Feldman, D.A Nelson, and C.J. Rosen, eds. Elsevier; 2007, 2016 pages, $420.00.

Osteoporosis affects a large percentage of the elderly population. Fractures incurred by these patients have significant consequences both in human and economic terms. The disease, however, is by no means restricted to this segment of the population. Osteoporosis, a third-edition 2-volume textbook edited by Marcus et al delves deeply into the subject.

With contributions from more than 150 authors and a total of 80 chapters, the book gives a thorough overview of the subject of osteoporosis. It is organized into multiple sections beginning with an introduction and discussion of the basic science of bone biology. Other sections deal with bone structure and biomechanics and the pharmacology and therapeutics of osteoporosis. Particularly interesting are chapters on osteoporosis in men, adolescents, transplant patients, and those with hematologic diseases. There is a fine, albeit short, chapter on the radiology of osteoporosis; a chapter from an orthopedic surgeon’s perspective; and another useful chapter reviewing the clinical utility of bone densitometry.

Although this is an authoritative text, this reviewer cannot recommend it to the practicing radiologist unless osteoporosis is an area of particular concern in his or her practice or research. For the radiologist who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the biologic basis of bone disease, this book is a good choice, but one should consider at least 2 other options. Principles of Bone Biology, edited by Bilezikan et al is a broad-based, authoritative, and comprehensive text. A paperback text entitled Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism, edited by Clifford Rosen and produced by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, is a concise, well-written, and affordable review that may satisfy most radiologists with an interest in metabolic bone disease.