Clinical characteristics and impact of treatment gap of fragility fractures in Colombia: experience of 10 Fracture Liaison Services (FLS)

Abstract

Background & aims. Fragility fractures are those caused by low-energy trauma or falls from standing height. The mortality after the first year of suffering a hip fracture ranges from 15 to 30%. This problem has been addressed through the creation of interdisciplinary programs for fragility fracture early diagnosis and prevention. Describing the clinical characteristics of a cohort of patients diagnosed with fragility fractures in 10 fracture liaison services in Colombia. Methods. Led by the Asociaci n Colombiana de Osteoporosis y Metabolismo Mineral, this is a cross-sectional descriptive study, in patients with a diagnosis of fragility fracture in 10 fracture liaison services. Demographic and clinical variables were described for one year from the diagnosis of the fracture. Results. were analyzed 1699 records of patient fractures between 50 and 101 years of age, 1334 were women (76.5%), 581/1484 (39.1%) had previous fragility fractures, 570/1599 (35.7%) had a previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. Of these, 70/1051 (7%) received anti-osteoporosis medication, and 311/733 (42.4%) received it post-fracture. Of the total records with information, 65/707 (9.2%) died the following year of the fracture. Conclusions. Fracture prevention programs in institutions allow for de16 A. Medina et al. tecting patients with fragility fractures, clinical characteristics of these, in addition to strengthening the conditions of a centralized national registry, based on the parameters of the International Osteoporosis Foundation - Capture the Fracture program, through strategies with multidisciplinary personnel.