Previous case-control studies have shown various degrees of inverse correlation between osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between osteophytes at the cervical , lumbar vertebrae and knee, and the bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine. We analyzed the data on 4091 female patients (aged 13 to 92 years). Osteophyte was defined by X ray examination. BMD of the lumbar spine (LS) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Lunar DPX). The association of osteophytes with BMD and osteophytes at different sites and different degrees were assessed by covariance analysis. Adjustments were made for age and body mass index. The relationship between osteophytes and BMD was analyzed by Binary Logistic Regression. BMD at each site was greater in the female with osteophytes (L4 BMD: P < 0.01, Mean BMD: P < 0.05); the relationship between osteophytes and osteoporosis and that between duration of osteophytes and osteoporosis were inversely correlated (P < 0.01). It confirms the existence of an inverse relationship between osteophytes and OP while a positive relationship is between age, body mass index and osteoporosis.