OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analyze the characteristics of bone metabolism with the growing of age, and explore the skeletal change with the increase of age especially in the elderly people and the females of postmenopause so as to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.DATA SOURCES: Literatures about age growth and bone metabolism were computer-searched in Medline database published from January 1993 to December 2003, with the key words of "The bone metabolism,The age growth" in English. Meanwhile, it was also manually searched in library published between January 1993 and December 2003 for related articles in Japanese.STUDY SELECTION: After the primary search, inclusive criteria: ①Physiological characteristics, mechanism and influenced factors of the bone metabolism with the growing of age. ②Analysis of retrospective study was done in clinical cases. Repetitive experimental studies were excluded.DATA EXTRACTION: Totally 21 papers were accorded with the abovementioned requirements, and 14 repetitive studies were excluded. Seven articles were referred to the inclusive criteria, in which 3 articles were researchful; 2 articles were diagnostic criterions; 2 articles were textbook.DATA SYNTHESIS: Bone metabolism changed greatly; skeleton became mature gradually and bone calcium increased with the age growth. Bone metabolism reached homeostasis after 20 years, and then appeared negative growth after 40 years and bone calcium decreased. Bone metabolism was the most intense and variable parameter with the growing of age. The rate of osteoporosis increased greatly in elderly people, especially in the females of postemenopause, which might be related to endocrine disorder and so on, except degeneration in elderly people. Studying these could provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.CONCLUSION: On the basis of understanding the relationship between age growth and bone metabolism, we realize that osteoporosis may be prevented mainly by means of establishing healthy life-style, full nutrition and high calcium ingestion.