Forgoing the opportunity and ordaining the preventable catastrophe: Overlooking the remedial portal for osteoporosis by orthopedic surgeons while managing patients with distal radius fragility fracture

Abstract

Introduction: The previous history of fracture in the elderly confers an increased risk of subsequent future fracture. The aim of this study is to identify what proportion of fragility distal radius fracture with subsequent skeletal fracture had their osteoporosis investigation and treatment was addressed in the interval between two events. Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective study of 272 isolated, low-energy distal radius fractures above the age of 50 years, between 2011 and 2015. In addition, during the same period in the same hospital, all patients above 50 years with other skeletal injuries with the previous history of distal radius fracture were also identified. Both groups were cross referenced to produce a single cohort of patients with both injuries. It was also examined whether the patients had received any treatment relating to osteoporosis before they sustained a subsequent fracture. Results: A study cohort of 28 distal radius fracture patients with subsequent other skeletal injuries were identified. Out of these, 2 (7.1%) patients were treated for osteoporosis and 26 (92.9%) were not. The differences in event rates between patients with and without osteoporosis treatment were statistically highly significant (P > 0.001). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of hospitalized elderly, fragility distal radius fracture patients were not sufficiently evaluated and treated for their potential risk of osteoporosis. This issue warrants osteoporosis to be addressed by multidisciplinary approach to prevent further fracture.