Underutilization of antiosteoporotic drugs by orthopedic surgeons for prevention of a secondary osteoporotic fracture.
BACKGROUND
Despite the availability of effective treatment and well-publicized treatment guidelines for preventing osteoporotic fractures, there are significant gaps in implementing the recommendations, and it is unknown how many patients are treated for prevention of secondary osteoporotic fractures. In this study, we investigate what percentage of osteoporosis patients were treated with antiosteoporotic drugs after osteoporotic fractures of the hip, wrist, and proximal humerus, and we discuss here the need for improvement in the treatment of osteoporosis following fracture.


METHODS
We studied 422 patients with osteoporotic fractures, 91 men and 331 women, with an average age of 77.1 years (range, 52-102 years). The 422 cases consisted of 299 hip fractures, 97 distal radius fractures, and 26 proximal humerus fractures. All patients underwent surgical intervention. The variables were examined to ascertain whether osteoporosis patients were medicated with antiosteoporotic drugs at postfracture.


RESULTS
Fifty-five (13%) of the 422 patients received antiosteoporotic medication at postfracture. Pharmaceutical treatment was given in 44 cases (14.7%) of hip fractures, 8 cases (8.2%) of distal radius fractures, and 3 cases (11.5%) of proximal humerus fractures. Thirty-one (7.3% of total) of the 55 patients were taking the same medication pre- and postfracture. Seven (1.7%) of the 55 were administered a different drug compared to before the fracture, and 17 (4%) started to take an antiosteoporotic drug for the first time subsequent to the fracture.


CONCLUSIONS
The present rate of treatment is insufficient given the high risk of secondary fractures and the availability of appropriate drugs that would reduce that risk.
Iba
Kousuke
K
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Takada
Junichi
J
Hatakeyama
Naoko
N
Kaya
Mitsunori
M
Isogai
Satoshi
S
Tsuda
Hajime
H
Obata
Hiroyuki
H
Miyano
Suichi
S
Yamashita
Toshihiko
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents