"Dowager's hump" is a curving of the spine caused by tiny fractures of the vertebral bodies of the vertebral column.
The cause is generally decreased bone mass or osteoporosis, that predominantly affects postmenopausal women. The common name for the typical rounded back of this disease is therefore "dowager's hump". The painful alteration in posture should never be dismissed as just a sign of ageing because it is evidence of an already far advanced osteoporosis: individual vertebral bodies of the spinal column have lost their strength through the decrease in bone mass and have collapsed. This is known as “sintering” or “sintering fracture”.
Fractures of other bones with no apparent cause or which occur during everyday activities or on exercise are a sign of possible osteoporosis. Fractures of the femoral neck (thigh bone) through minor falls and broken wrists on putting out a hand to save a fall are common. Ribs can even fracture when coughing.