Secondary prevention of fragility fractures: Instrumental role of a fracture liaison service to tackle the risk of imminent fracture

Abstract

The occurrence of fragility fractures is strongly associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Effective recommendations should be set to treat these patients punctually for secondary prevention of fractures and ultimately decrease healthcare costs. The key pitfalls in the current management for patients with fragility fractures are the lack of fracture liaison services, low prescription rates for osteoporosis, inadequate referral for rehabilitation, and low follow-up attendance leading to poor compliance with treatment. Most imminent fractures occur within the first 2 years, and it is therefore important to raise the awareness of fracture risk and provide fracture liaison services to improve management. Fracture liaison services are coordinated and have been shown to be costeffective. These services allow prompt identification of patients with fragility fractures. This leads to appropriate investigations of their bone health and fall risk. Information about and interventions for each patient are provided for secondary prevention of fractures. Implementation of the fracture liaison services model would play a major role in improving patient outcomes in our community.