Does a fracture liaison service program minimize recurrent fragility fractures in the elderly with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures?

BACKGROUND: There is a sizable proportion of elderly, both men and women, with fragility fractures, approximately 2 million fractures per year in the United States. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 365 patient presented between January 2012 and December 2017 with vertebral compression fractures. Pre-post study design to determine refracture between Group A (before Fracture Liaison Service (FLS)) and Group B, after. Calcium, Vitamin D, DEXA scans, FRAX scores, and refracture rates were measured. RESULTS: Mean age for group A and B were 79.0 and 74.9 years, respectively, and predominantly females. Serum calcium was higher in group B (9.51 mg/d/L versus 9.40 mg/dL) but not significant (p = 0.19). Fracture score among the groups was similar (20% versus 22%; p = 0.44). The total refracture rate for both vertebral and other fracture was significantly less in the post FLS patients, 36.5% versus 56% p-value = 0.01. CONCLUSION: FLS program benefited patients with fragility fractures by decreasing the incidence of all refracture rates.