Fragility Vertebral Compression Fractures in Postmenopausal Women: The Role of a Fracture Liaison Service Program

As the aging population increases in the United States, so has the prevalence of osteoporosis (10.2 million adults aged 50 years and older in 2010). Programs to manage the increased incidence of fragility fractures in such patients particularly the postmenopausal women are the priority. Programs such as the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) might be the answer.

Data of 256 postmenopausal women with vertebral compression fractures treated with vertebroplasty between 2012 and 2017 were divided into 2 groups. Group A were patients seen between 2012 and 2014 before the establishment of the FLS program at the clinic. Group B were patients seen between 2015 and 2017 who presented to the FLS program in our clinic. Data collected included demographics, refracture rates, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan T-scores, fracture risk score (FRAX), serum calcium and vitamin D levels, and comorbid conditions.

There were 103 female patients with a mean age of 79.75 years (standard deviation [SD] ± 10.86) in group A, while group B had 153 patients with a mean age of 75.66 years (SD ± 10.78). There was no significant difference in the DEXA scan T-scores, FRAX scores, and mean serum calcium and vitamin D levels; however, there was a significant reduction in the refracture rate for vertebral compression fractures (P = .003).

FLS programs, when implemented, will have a beneficial effect in reducing refracture rates of postmenopausal women with osteoporotic fragility fractures.