Clinical osteology is now an independent specialty which nevertheless encompasses all branches of medicine and effects each and every one of us: Bone is Every Body´s Business: This book has been designed as an up to date manual to deal with the currently recognized indications for bisphosphonates, to outline situations and conditions for prevention of skeletal disorders, and to provide practical guidelines for treatment. It is intended for doctors who seek precise information on bisphosphonates in medical practice to enable them to treat patients with disorders of bone or better still to avoid their occurrence – as the age-old saying has it "prevention is better than cure”! Significant advances have already been made in the first 6 years of the "Bone and Joint Decade” of the new century, it is our hope that this book will contribute to more progress in the same direction.