Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .
Orthopaedic management improves the rate of early osteoporosis treatment after hip fracture. A randomized clinical trial.
BACKGROUND Although osteoporosis is strongly associated with hip fractures , the initiation of osteoporosis treatment following hip fractures occurs at surprisingly low rates of between 5 % and 30 % . Currently , most patients receiving treatment have been referred back to their primary care physician for osteoporosis management . The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of osteoporosis management initiated by the orthopaedic team and osteoporosis management initiated by the primary care physician on the rates of treatment at six months . METHODS A prospect i ve r and omized trial was conducted to assess the difference in the rate of osteoporosis treatment  when an in-house assessment of osteoporosis was initiated by the orthopaedic surgeon and follow-up was conducted in a specialized orthopaedic osteoporosis clinic compared with osteoporosis education and " usual " care . RESULTS Sixty-two patients were enrolled in the study . Thirty-one patients each were in the control and intervention groups . The percentage of patients who were on pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis  at six months after the fracture was significantly greater when the evaluation was initiated by the orthopaedic surgeon and was managed in a specialized orthopaedic osteoporosis clinic ( 58 % ) than when treatment was managed by a primary care physician ( 29 % ) ( p = 0.04 ) . CONCLUSIONS An active role by orthopaedic surgeons in the management of osteoporosis improves the rate of treatment at six months following a hip fracture
Conclusions All interventions produced positive effects on BMD scanning and osteoporosis treatment rates post-fracture .
Despite sizeable increases , investigation and treatment rates remain sub-optimal .
Background There is a large quality of care gap for patients with osteoporosis .
As a fragility fracture is a strong indicator of underlying osteoporosis , it offers an ideal opportunity to initiate investigation and treatment .
However , studies of post-fracture population s document screening and treatment rates below 20 % in most setting s. This is despite the fact that bone mineral density ( BMD ) scans are effective at identifying patients at high risk of fracture , and effective drug treatments are widely available .
Effective interventions are required to remedy this incongruity in current practice .