Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Knowledge of orthopaedic surgeons in managing patients with fragility fracture

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Orthopaedics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Fragility fractures represent a major health problem, as they cause deformity, disability and increased mortality rates. Orthopaedic surgeons should identify patients with fragility fractures and manage their osteoporosis in order to reduce the risk of future fracture; therefore, orthopaedic surgeons’ knowledge about managing fragile fracture should be evaluated.

Methods

A questionnaire was administered to 2,910 orthopaedic surgeons to address the respondents’ knowledge. The questions covered the topics of diagnosis, treatment and approach to a patient with a fragility fracture. The data-collection period for this survey spanned one year.

Results

There were 2,021 orthopaedic surgeons who participated in this study. Less than 10% of the respondents included bone mass densitometry (BMD) when evaluating patients with fragile fractures 32% prescribed proper dosage of calcium and vitamin D; approximately 30% would refer if falling from a height was suspected.

Conclusions

The majority of orthopaedic surgeons questioned lacked knowledge of fragility fracture management. This is reflected by limited knowledge of osteoporosis assessment and treatment in most areas. An appropriate method should be created to manage patients with fragility fractures to guarantee the patient the best possible care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dreinhöfer KE, Anderson M, Féron JM, Herrera A, Hube R, Johnell O, Lidgren L, Miles K, Tarantino U, Simpson H, Wallace WA (2005) Multinational survey of osteoporotic fracture management. Osteoporos Int 16(Suppl 2):S44–S53

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kanis JA, Johnell O, Oden A, Sernbo I, Redlund-Johnell I, Dawson A, De Laet C, Jonsson B (2000) Long-term risk of osteoporotic fracture in Malmo. Osteoporos Int 11:669–674

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Johnell O, Kanis JA (2004) An estimate of the worldwide prevalence, mortality and disability associated with hip fracture. Osteoporos Int 15:897–902

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Melton LJ 3rd (2003) Adverse outcomes of osteoporotic fractures in the general population. J Bone Miner Res 18:1139–1141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jones G, Nguyen T, Sambrook PN, Kelly PJ, Gilbert C, Eisman JA (1994) Symptomatic fracture incidence in elderly men and women: the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study (DOES). Osteoporos Int 4:277–282

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Genant HK, Cooper C, Poor G, Reid I, Ehrlich G, Kanis J et al (1999) Interim report and recommendations of the World Health Organization Task-Force for Osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int 10:259–264

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Papaioannou A, Giangregorio L, Kvern B, Boulos P, Ioannidis G, Adachi JD (2004) The osteoporosis care gap in Canada. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 6(5):11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Briancon D, de Gaudemar JB, Forestier R (2004) Management of osteoporosis in women with peripheral osteoporotic fractures after 50 years of age: a study of practices. J Bone Spine 71:128–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Simonelli C, Chen YT, Morancey J, Lewis AF, Abbott TA (2003) Evaluation and management of osteoporosis following hospitalization for low-impact fracture. J Gen Intern Med 18:17–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Marsh D, Akesson K, Beaton DE, Bogoch ER, Boonen S, Brandi ML et al (2011) Coordinator-based systems for secondary prevention in fragility fracture patients. Osteoporos Int 22(7):2051–2065

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Elliot-Gibson V, Bogoch ER, Jamal SA et al (2004) Practice patterns in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis after a fragility fracture: a systematic review. Osteoporos Int 15:767–778

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hajcsar EE, Hawker G, Bogoch ER (2000) Investigation and treatment of osteoporosis in patients with fragility fractures. CMAJ 163:819–822

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kiebzak GM, Beinart GA, Perser K, Ambrose CG, Siff SJ, Heggeness MH (2002) Undertreatment of osteoporosis in men with hip fracture. Arch Intern Med 162:2217–2222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. United States Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Sur geon General. Bone health and osteoporosis: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2004

  15. Simonelli C, Killeen K, Mehle S, Swanson L (2002) Barriers to osteoporosis identification and treatment among primary care physicians and orthopedic surgeons. Mayo Clin Proc 77:334–338

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Osteoporosis/Fracture Prevention. Clinical practice guidelines. Available at: http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=13967

  17. Robinson CM, Royds M, Abraham A, McQueen MM, Court-Brown CM, Christie J (2002) Refractures in patients at least forty-five years old. A prospective analysis of twenty-two thousand and sixty patients. J Bone Joint Surg Am 84:1528–1533

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hochberg M (2000) Preventing fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. A review of recent controlled trials of antiresorptive agents. Drugs Aging 17:317–333

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Skedros JG, Holyoak JD, Pitts TC (2006) Knowledge and opinions of orthopaedic surgeons concerning medical evaluation and treatment ofpatients with osteoporotic fracture. J Bone Joint Surg Am 88(1):18–24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bellantonio S, Fortinsky R, Prestwood K (2001) How well are community-living women treated for osteoporosis after hip fracture? J Am Geriatr Soc 49:1197–1204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Castel H, Bonneh DY, Sherf M, Liel Y (2001) Awareness of osteoporosis and compliance with management guidelines in patients with newly diagnosed low-impact fractures. Osteoporos Int 12:559–564

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Gardner MJ, Flik KR, Mooar P, Lane JM (2002) Improvement in the undertreatment of osteoporosis following hip fracture. J Bone Joint Surg Am 84:1342–1348

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Harrington JT, Broy SB, Derosa AM, Licata AA, Shewmon DA (2002) Hip fracture patients are not treated for osteoporosis: a call to action. Arthritis Rheum 47:651–654

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Torgerson DJ, Dolan P (1998) Prescribing by general practitioners after an osteoporotic fracture. Ann Rheum Dis 57:378–379

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kannus P, Parkkari J, Niemi S, Pasanen M, Palvanen M, Jarvinen M, Vuori I (2000) Prevention of hip fracture in elderly people with use of a hip protector. N Engl J Med 343:1506–1513

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Hochberg M (2000) Preventing fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. A review of recent controlled trials of antiresorptive agents. Drugs Aging 17:317–330

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Delmas PD (2002) Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Lancet 359:2018–2026

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Eiken PA (1996) Osteoporosis: assessment, prevention and treatment in Danish departments of orthopedic surgery. Ugeskr Laeger 158:5790–5793

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Akesson K, Dreinhöfer KE, Woolf AD (2003) Improved education in musculoskeletal conditions is necessary for all doctors. Bull World Health Organ 81:677–683

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Students’ Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Exceptional Talent Development Center (ETDC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

    Reza Sorbi & Mohamad Reza Aghamirsalim

  2. Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Sorbi & Mohamad Reza Aghamirsalim

Authors
  1. Reza Sorbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohamad Reza Aghamirsalim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamad Reza Aghamirsalim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sorbi, R., Aghamirsalim, M.R. Knowledge of orthopaedic surgeons in managing patients with fragility fracture. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 36, 1275–1279 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1482-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1482-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation