The third edition of the Atlas of Osteoporosis is designed to be useful to a broad readership united in their interest in the disorder. The expert authors have encapsulated not only the well-established basics of osteoporosis but also new developments in the field in a format that makes extensive use of graphical displays of important data. Issues that are well known to be important to skeletal biology and osteoporosis (eg nutrition exercise and growth) have been updated. Some chapters included in the first edition have been more extensively revised to reflect major developments. Several chapters have been added to highlight the emergence of new fields (genetics) or the expansion of others (bone densitometry and the laboratory evaluation of bone disorders).