Aggressive Osteoporosis Prevention Plans Could Drop Hip Fracture Rate by 25%

A study at Kaiser Permanente found that more active disease management could potentially cut the rate of hip fractures in the U.S. by at least 25%. The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, found that the key to this prevention is orthopaedic surgeons taking a more active role in osteopororis disease management.

The current rate of treatment after a fragility fracture is only 20%. Comparatively, treatment at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California is now 68%. Kaiser Permanente's Healthy Bones Program identifies at-risk patients using Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect, the world's largest civil electronic health record database. A multidisciplinary team, including orthopedic surgeons and providers from endocrinology, family practice, internal medicine, rheumatology, gynecology, physical therapy, disease/care management, radiology and nursing education ensures that at-risk patients get the bone density screenings and medications they need.

“The most important thing an orthopedic surgeon should know about osteoporosis/fracture prevention is that we can take action that helps to prevent hip and other fragility fractures,” said Dr. Richard Dell, the study's lead author. “Simple steps like suggesting calcium and vitamin D for all your patients and bone mineral density testing in patients at higher risk for osteoporosis should be considered part of your daily practice.”