Osteoporosis assessment and treatment in older patients who have sustained a hip fracture.
OBJECTIVE
Currently fracture sufferers are not being assessed or treated for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis guidelines differ in their secondary prevention recommendations, with the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) advocating bone densitometry in all fracture patients and anti-resorptive treatment only if evidence-based criteria are confirmed, but the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal recommends treatment for all older females without this bone densitometry confirmation. We aimed to determine the rate of referral for bone densitometry, the numbers achieving SIGN criteria for anti-resorptive therapy, and the rate of osteoporosis treatment in patients with hip fracture


METHODS
A retrospective review of all patients older than 65 years who had sustained a hip fracture in Tayside between April 2003 and July 2005 was performed


RESULTS
Only 8.6% of hip fracture patients underwent bone densitometry, of which 90.6% of females older than 75 years met SIGN criteria for anti-resorptive treatment. 74.3% of all patients referred for bone densitometry were treated with an anti-resorptive agent, compared to only to 12.7% of the large majority group who were not assessed for osteoporosis


CONCLUSIONS
Osteoporosis investigation and therefore treatment remains sub-optimal in hip fracture patients. Almost all females, older than 75 years, with a hip fracture met evidence-based criteria for anti-resorptive treatment. NICE guidance, recommending anti-resorptive treatment without bone densitometry confirmation of reduced bone mineral density, should maybe be implemented for this specific group of patients in an attempt to increase osteoporosis treatment rates.
Lowdon
Douglas W
DW
Section of Ageing and Health, Department of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY. douglas.lowdon@tpct.scot.nhs.uk
Quinn
Catherine
C
Mole
Pat
P
Leese
Graham P
GP
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates