system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 72-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department because of severe pain in her left hip after a fall this morning. She has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 45 years. Her only medication is a vitamin D supplement. Physical examination shows that her left leg is externally rotated and appears shorter than her right leg. An x-ray of the pelvis shows a fracture of the neck of the left femur. Which of the following changes in bone architecture is the most likely underlying cause of this patient's symptoms?
assistant
Loss of cortical bone mass and thinning of trabeculae