Management of osteoporosis after fragility fractures

Abstract

Osteoporosis is defined as asystemic bone disease with decreased bone strength and an increased susceptibility for fractures. Older people in particular face an increased risk of fractures. These kind of fractures are usually caused by an inadequate trauma and are the so-called fragility fractures. In older adults immediate fracture stabilization and early mobilization have become the standard procedure after afragility fracture. Treatment of the underlying osteoporosis often plays aminor role in clinical practice. Only asmall group of patients are already under osteoporosis medication and even after afracture occurs only few patients receive osteoporosis drug treatment with the aim to reduce the progression of osteoporosis and to reduce subsequent fractures. In the literature this has been described as the osteoporosis care gap. The following article presents an overview of treatment options and answers many different questions from the clinical routine.