A woman in China was only trying to get a warm embrace from her husband and was left with multiple broken ribs.
CCTV footage of the incident first surfaced on Chinese social media in early October 2026, showing the couple in what appeared to be a cafeteria.
As soon as the man put his arms around the woman and lifted her from the ground, she doubled over in agony.
Highlights
- A woman in China suffered five broken ribs and another hairline fracture after a hug from her husband.
- While her status was not critical, doctors said that the injuries were connected to a bone condition that plagues about 200 million women worldwide.
- The condition was likely caused by her lifestyle and dietary choices, including drinking at least a cup of coffee every day.
Now, the husband, Mr. Wang, has opened up about what really happened during the interaction and what they found out after a subsequent hospital visit.
A woman suffered five broken ribs from her husband’s hug due to osteoporosis
On October 19, Wang told China’s Hubei Jingshi Live that his wife felt “cold” at the time, which prompted the embrace.
He could hear the sound of bone cracking just before his wife crouched down in pain. In the video, he can be seen looking down at her with concern as she squats on the ground, holding the right side of her torso.
He did not think it was anything serious at the time. But she endured pain all night before visiting a hospital the next morning.
A CT scan showed that five of her ribs were fractured and another had developed a hairline crack.
The doctors deemed surgery unnecessary, but prescribed medication, medicated patches, and lots of rest. She was discharged from the hospital and was asked to visit every five days for review.
Wuhan Yaxin General Hospital orthopedic deputy chief Yan Yanxiang said that she had no lung damage, pleural effusion, breathing difficulties, or pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
As for the cause behind the fractures, he pointed out that broken bones caused by a human embrace were relatively rare, which pointed to the likely condition of osteoporosis.
Calcium and vitamin D deficiency were likely the cause behind the injury, according to doctors
According to the National Institutes of Health, osteoporosis is a bone disease caused by a drop in bone mass and density, leading to decreased bone strength and an increased risk of fractures.
The organization called it a “silent” disease, as it typically lacks symptoms and may not be diagnosed until one breaks a bone.
Osteoporosis is the major cause of fractures in women, especially postmenopause.
International Osteoporosis Foundation says that approximately 200 million women are affected by the condition worldwide, and one in three over the age of 50 experience a bone fracture due to it.
Beyond age, family history, and hormonal changes, lifestyle and diet are major triggers for osteoporosis, especially low calcium and long-term vitamin D deficiency from limited sun exposure.
Wang noted that his wife, who weighed 45-50 kg, often skipped dinner and covered up when going outdoors. She drove to the family shop 2-3 minutes away and spent very little time in the sun.
Although her medical report did not say that these factors directly caused the osteoporosis, Dr. Yan explained that they could have triggered a general calcium and vitamin D deficiency.
Mrs. Wang’s caffeine habits may have contributed to her condition
Mrs. Wang drank at least one cup of coffee every day, which Dr. Yan said could have been another contributing factor.
A November 2025 study published in Nutrients observed 9,704 postmenopausal women aged 65 and older who self-reported their daily consumption over a decade. The researchers found that drinking more than five cups of coffee was associated with lower bone density.
However, some studies have established the opposite as well.
A September 2024 study published in ScienceDirect, involving 487,594 participants, found that coffee drinkers had about a 7% lower relative risk of developing osteoporosis than non-drinkers.
Drinking 1-2 cups of coffee daily was associated with a 10% lower risk.
Dr. Yan recommended that women over 50 and men over 60 have their bone density checked once a year, especially those with a family history or who take certain long-term medications.
He stressed that to prevent osteoporosis, women should supplement calcium and vitamin D appropriately, get some sun exposure, maintain a balanced diet, eat more calcium-rich foods, and do resistance exercises, which also improve bone strength.
"Wellness influencers on social media might be the culprit," one user commented
