Osteoporosis is the most frequent disorder in bone resorption. Twin and family studies have shown that the majority of the risk of developing osteoporosis is genetically determined. It is likely that the genetic risk consists of several common gene polymorphisms which have weak effects individually but severe effects when acting together. The genetic predisposition and environmental factors create the morbidity risk for osteoporosis. Defining the genes associated with osteoporosis should enhance the ability of identifying those at risk, the understanding of the disease pathophysiology, and facilitate novel therapeutic and preventive strategies. Genes identified up to now have a weak contribution individually to bone density and fracture risk and are not of clinical value. In this article we discuss the current state of gene mapping in osteoporosis.