A multidisciplinary approach in patients with femoral neck fracture on an osteoporotic basis

Osteoporosis is a common affection characterized by a reduction of bone mass that affects mostly women after menopause. It currently leads to fractures, especially of the spine and hip thus enhancing the costs of medical care. There are many factors that contribute to its development, leading to various strategy lines to deal with it.

The present study aims at showing how a multidisciplinary, multifactorial approach can be effective in treating and preventing new osteoporotic fractures.

The study included 17 patients that had replacement arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures. Bone tissue fragments were obtained from all of them and analyzed by pathology specialists. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry exam was also performed on each patient. In the end, the data was collected and processed by rehabilitation experts in order to establish proper therapy.

The hip fracture incidence was two times more frequent in women than in men, higher in the 71-80-year-old group. By analyzing the bone fragments atrophy could be seen, especially in the femoral neck as well as lamellae and osteon reduction and bone architecture alterations.

Surgical or pharmacological treatments alone are not sufficient for handling osteoporosis. Strategies such as preventing falls, a proper diet, treating associated conditions and a well-established exercise program need to be considered. Specialists from several areas such as pathology, orthopedics, endocrinology, internal medicine and rehabilitation should work together to design the best approach to deal with osteoporosis.