A warning sign?

A fragility fracture is commonly the first warning sign that your bone strength is weakened, which can lead to long-term issues and/or future fractures.  Fragility fractures have the potential to impose a significant burden on your quality of life, often making everyday activities such as eating, dressing, shopping or driving difficult.  For those who suffer a hip fracture, 40% are not able to walk independently again and 10-20% of patients require permanent nursing-home care after the incident.

If you have suffered a fragility fracture, you are now at a higher risk of future fractures. This risk should be evaluated by your doctor who may conduct a fracture risk assessment. This involves enquiring about several risk factors known to affect bone strength such as age, sex, and prior fracture(s), and completing a bone mineral density (BMD) test.

If you’re concerned about osteoporosis or your risk of fragility fractures, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) risk calculator can help identify common risk factors.

If you’ve had a fragility fracture, it’s important to speak to a doctor or nurse about your risk of a future fracture. Talking openly will allow you to get expert advice and will ensure your doctor or nurse has all the information to best support you in managing your condition.

One way to have these conversations with your doctor is to have discussion topics to hand when you go to your appointment. You can download a discussion guide below. This guide was developed in collaboration with UCB and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), to help you make the most of the time you have with your doctor.