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.
