[Development of fracture risk assessment tool (FRAT) by WHO study group and its proposed application]

Risk factors for fragility fracture include BMD and other factors independent from BMD. WHO-study group has proposed a new strategy to establish international tool to estimate absolute risk values for the occurrence of femoral neck fracture at the individual levels, named as fracture risk assessment tool (FRAT). The tool issued from the group is basically derived from the integration of the data of various risk factors obtained in Sweden. It may be useful to identify cases for pharmacological intervention. However, the differences in the kinds and the relative values of fracture risks in other countries or districts have not yet been clarified. Utility of the tool may depend on the results of calibration and validation based on their own data in other districts.