Your Skeleton Throughout Life

Your bones are living tissues that constantly change throughout your life. On average, your skeleton is replaced every eight to ten years.

It is never too early or late to think about bone health.

During childhood and adolescence, bones grow and become stronger, reaching their maximum strength (peak bone mass) in your mid-twenties. During this period, bone building (formation) exceeds bone breakdown (resorption).

From your mid-twenties to approximately age 50, bones are maintained, where the rate of bone building equals the rate of bone breakdown.

From age 50 onwards, the rate of bone breakdown begins to outpace the rate of bone building. For women, this process speeds up during menopause due to a decrease in the hormone oestrogen. For men, bone loss tends to occur more gradually, usually starting around age 70.