Osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality amongst the elderly. The rationale for The Osteoporosis Primer is to provide an introductory text that relates the clinical presentation of osteoporosis to its molecular biochemical basis. The text has been organised into four sections that deal with the molecular/cellular components of bone, the development of peak bone mass, the pathophysiology of aging bone and, finally, how all of these relate to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. The international team of authors includes many leading clinicians and scientists who have provided the reader with a concise, yet comprehensive, synopsis of bone development and skeletal homeostasis. This will be an essential introduction for individuals working on osteoporosis including students and doctors considering a career related to metabolic bone disease, physicians in general practice, geriatricians, rheumatologists, and endocrinologists.