TY - JOUR
T1 - Pins and plaster aren't enough
T2 - A call for the evaluation and treatment of patients with osteoporotic fractures
AU - Siris, Ethel S.
AU - Bilezikian, John P.
AU - Rubin, Mishaela R.
AU - Black, Dennis M.
AU - Bockman, Richard S.
AU - Bone, Henry G.
AU - Hochberg, Marc C.
AU - McClung, Michael R.
AU - Schnitzer, Thomas J.
PY - 2003/8/1
Y1 - 2003/8/1
N2 - A history of an osteoporotic fracture is a powerful predictor of future fractures. Older patients who sustain low trauma fractures are candidates for interventions that should include confirmation of the diagnosis of osteoporosis, adequate calcium and vitamin D administration, and use of an osteoporosis therapy that is proven to lower fracture risk. Recently, however, several reports in the literature have indicated that, in general, those physicians who diagnose and treat fractures, i.e. radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, and those who provide general medical care to these fracture patients, the primary care physicians, are not evaluating patients with acute fractures for the presence of osteoporosis and are not prescribing calcium, vitamin D, or specific pharmacological therapy to reduce future fracture risk. These reports suggest that implementation of a standard of care for the subsequent medical management of the older patient with an acute fracture is needed urgently. Diagnostic tools and several effective therapies exist, but these are underused by the physicians who interface with these patients. A call to action is necessary to reduce the human and economic costs associated with this serious and treatable disease.
AB - A history of an osteoporotic fracture is a powerful predictor of future fractures. Older patients who sustain low trauma fractures are candidates for interventions that should include confirmation of the diagnosis of osteoporosis, adequate calcium and vitamin D administration, and use of an osteoporosis therapy that is proven to lower fracture risk. Recently, however, several reports in the literature have indicated that, in general, those physicians who diagnose and treat fractures, i.e. radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, and those who provide general medical care to these fracture patients, the primary care physicians, are not evaluating patients with acute fractures for the presence of osteoporosis and are not prescribing calcium, vitamin D, or specific pharmacological therapy to reduce future fracture risk. These reports suggest that implementation of a standard of care for the subsequent medical management of the older patient with an acute fracture is needed urgently. Diagnostic tools and several effective therapies exist, but these are underused by the physicians who interface with these patients. A call to action is necessary to reduce the human and economic costs associated with this serious and treatable disease.
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U2 - 10.1210/jc.2003-030568
DO - 10.1210/jc.2003-030568
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12915621
AN - SCOPUS:0041882104
VL - 88
SP - 3482
EP - 3486
JO - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
SN - 0021-972X
IS - 8
ER -