title: Management of osteoporosis in women after forearm fracture: data from a French health insurance database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite reliable diagnostic methods and effective drugs, the prevention and management of osteoporosis seems insufficient in France. We evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) assessment and prescription of anti-osteoporotic drugs after forearm fracture in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a health insurance database for outpatients from private clinics in a French population of more than 500,000 inhabitants. Medical expenses were analyzed for women 50 years of age or older who had a forearm fracture between August 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 250 forearm fractures in women during the study period. In total, 12 women (4.8%) underwent BMD assessment before the fracture and were not taken into account in the analysis. For the 238 others, 24 (10.1%) had undergone BMD assessment at a median of 4 months after the fracture. A total of 32 women (13.4%) received an anti-osteoporotic drug at the time of the fracture and 14 of 206 untreated women (6.8%) received an anti-osteoporotic drug at a median of 3.8 months after the fracture. Receipt of an anti-osteoporotic drug was more frequent for women with than without BMD assessment after the fracture (8/19 [40.1%] versus 6/187 [3.2%]; P<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work, performed in a large sample, suggests that only 10% of women 50 years of age or older in France undergo BMD assessment after a forearm fracture and that BMD assessment is associated with anti-osteoporotic drug prescription.
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erny
authors.affiliation: Service de statistique de la Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie d'Indre-et-Loire, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Auvinet
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chu Miow Lin
authors.affiliation: Service de statistique de la Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie d'Indre-et-Loire, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Ambre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pioger
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haguenoer
authors.affiliation: Cabinet de Rhumatologie, Centre de l'Ostéoporose, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tauveron
authors.affiliation: Cabinet de Rhumatologie, Centre de l'Ostéoporose, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jacquot
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rusch
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goupille
authors.affiliation: Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 37000 Tours, France. Electronic address: mulleman@med.univ-tours.fr.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mulleman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents
keywords: Bone mineral density; Distal forearm fracture; Medical databases; Osteoporosis