Imminent fall risk after fracture

Global epidemiology of lower limb fractures: Trends, burden, and projections from the GBD 2021 study

BACKGROUND

Lower limb fractures are a significant global public health issue, imposing considerable social and economic burdens. Despite their prevalence, comprehensive analyses of the global epidemiology of lower limb fractures remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap.

METHODS

Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, we analyzed four types of lower limb fractures: fractures of foot bones excluding the ankle (FFB), hip fractures (FH), fractures of the patella, tibia or fibula, or ankle (FPTFA), and femur fractures excluding the femoral neck (FF), and conducted a detailed assessment of them.

RESULTS

FPTFA was the most burdensome fracture type, with Slovenia showing the highest age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), and Saudi Arabia having the highest age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and years lived with disability rate (ASYR). The burden of lower limb fractures increased with age, but FFB and FPTFA showed a "double peak" age distribution, with FFB most common in the 20-24 age group. Lower limb fractures were more prevalent in males among younger individuals and in females among older populations. From 1990 to 2021, the burden of lower limb fractures, excluding FH, decreased (EAPC <1), though the incidence of FF is projected to increase (EAPC = 0.14, 95 % CI 0.1-0.18) over the next decade.

CONCLUSION

Although the global burden of lower limb fractures, excluding FH, has decreased in recent years, vigilance is still needed. Given the projected rise in FF incidence over the next decade, preventive measures should be implemented early.

The Fracture Phenotypes in Women and Men of 50 Years and Older with a Recent Clinical Fracture

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review the literature about patients 50 years and older with a recent clinical fracture for the presence of skeletal and extra-skeletal risks, their perspectives of imminent subsequent fracture, falls, mortality, and other risks, and on the role of the fracture liaison service (FLS) for timely secondary fracture prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with a recent clinical fracture present with heterogeneous patterns of bone-, fall-, and comorbidity-related risks. Short-term perspectives include bone loss, increased risk of fractures, falls, and mortality, and a decrease in physical performance and quality of life. Combined evaluation of bone, fall risk, and the presence of associated comorbidities contributes to treatment strategies. Since fractures are related to interactions of bone-, fall-, and comorbidity-related risks, there is no one-single-discipline-fits-all approach but a need for a multidisciplinary approach at the FLS to consider all phenotypes for evaluation and treatment in an individual patient.

Does regional implementation of a clinical pathway for older adult patients with pelvic fragility fractures after low-energy trauma improve patient outcomes (PELVIC): a multicentre, stepped-wedge, randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Patients with pelvic fragility fractures suffer from high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite the high incidence, there is currently no regional or nationwide treatment protocol which results in a wide variety of clinical practices. Recently, there have been new insights into treatment strategies, such as early diagnosis and minimally invasive operative treatment. The aim of this study is to implement an evidence-based and experience-based treatment clinical pathway to improve outcomes in this fragile patient population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be a regional stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial. All older adult patients (≥50 years old) who suffered a pelvic fragility fracture after low-energetic trauma are eligible for inclusion. The pathway aims to optimise the diagnostic process, to guide the decision-making process for further treatment (eg, operative or conservative), to structure the follow-up and to provide guidelines on pain management, weight-bearing and osteoporosis workup. The primary outcome is mobility, measured by the Parker Mobility Score. Secondary outcomes are mobility measured by the Elderly Mobility Scale, functional performance, quality of life, return to home rate, level of pain, type and dosage of analgesic medications, the number of falls after treatment, the number of (fracture-related) complications, 1-year and 2-year mortality. Every 6 weeks, a cluster will switch from current practice to the clinical pathway. The aim is a total of 393 inclusions, which provides an 80% statistical power for an improvement in mobility of 10%, measured by the Parker mobility score.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Medical Research Ethics Committee of Academic Medical Center has exempted the PELVIC study from the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO). Informed consent will be obtained using the opt-out method and research data will be stored in a database and handled confidentially. The final study report will be shared via publication without restrictions from funding parties and regardless of the outcome.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT06054165.

PROTOCOL VERSION

V.1.0, 19 July 2022.

Physical performance and sarcopenia assessment in patients with a recent fracture visiting the Fracture Liaison Service

Impaired physical performance is associated with increased fracture risk. Performance on four physical functioning tests and prevalence of sarcopenia were assessed for 1789 fracture patients and compared to reference data. Performance was low on all tests, especially for patients with a hip, major or ≥ 1 prevalent vertebral fracture.

PURPOSE INTRODUCTION

Impaired physical performance and sarcopenia are associated with increased fracture risk. This study aims to assess physical performance and the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with a recent clinical fracture attending the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) compared to population means.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, chair stand test (CST), handgrip strength (HGS), timed-up-and-go (TUG), 6-min walking-test (6MWT), and sarcopenia (following EWGSOP2) were assessed. The proportion of patients with impaired/poor performance compared to reference data was calculated (Z-score: ≥  - 2SD to <  - 1 (impaired) and <  - 2 SD (poor)). Associations of fracture type, sex, age, and time since fracture with Z-scores were assessed using linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 1789 consecutive FLS patients were included (median age (IQR): 66 (59-74), 70.7% females, 3.9 (± 1.6) months after fracture). The prevalence of impaired/poor performance for CST, HGS, TUG, and 6MWT was 39.2%, 30.4%, 21.9%, and 71.5%, respectively (expected proportion of 16%) and 2.8% had sarcopenia. Lower Z-scores (P < 0.001) were found for hip, major, and ≥ 1 prevalent vertebral fracture (VF) in CST (major: regression coefficient (B) (95%CI) =  - 0.25 [- 0.34, - 0.16]; hip: B =  - 0.32 [- 0.47, - 0.17], VF: B =  - 0.22 [- 0.34, - 0.11]), TUG; (major: B =  - 0.54 [- 0.75, - 0.33]; hip: B =  - 1.72 [- 2.08, -1.35], VF: B =  - 0.61 [- 0.88, - 0.57]), 6MWT (major: B =  - 0.34 [- 0.47, - 0.21]; hip: B =  - 0.99 [- 1,22, - 0.77], VF: B =  - 0.36 [- 0.53, - 0.19]).

CONCLUSIONS

Physical performance is significantly lower in FLS patients compared to healthy peers, especially in patients with hip, major or prevalent VF. These findings underline the need to assess and improve the physical performance of FLS patients, despite a low prevalence of sarcopenia.

The "Can Do, Do Do" Framework Applied to Assess the Association between Physical Capacity, Physical Activity and Prospective Falls, Subsequent Fractures, and Mortality in Patients Visiting the Fracture Liaison Service

The "can do, do do" framework combines measures of poor and normal physical capacity (PC, measured by a 6 min walking test, can do/can't do) and physical activity (PA, measured by accelerometer, do do/don't do) into four domains and is able to categorize patient subgroups with distinct clinical characteristics, including fall and fracture risk factors. This study aims to explore the association between domain categorization and prospective fall, fracture, and mortality outcomes. This 6-year prospective study included patients visiting a Fracture Liaison Service with a recent fracture. Outcomes were first fall (at 3 years of follow-up, measured by fall diaries), first subsequent fracture, and mortality (at 6 years). Cumulative incidences of all three outcomes were calculated. The association between domain categorization and time to the three outcomes was assessed by uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis with the "can do, do do" group as reference. The physical performance of 400 patients with a recent fracture was assessed (mean age: 64 years; 70.8% female), of whom 61.5%, 20.3%, and 4.9% sustained a first fall, sustained a subsequent fracture, or had died. Domain categorization using the "can do, do do" framework was not associated with time to first fall, subsequent fracture, or mortality in the multivariate Cox regression analysis for all groups. "Can't do, don't do" group: hazard ratio [HR] for first fall: 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-1.23), first fracture HR: 0.58 (95% CI: 0.24-1.41), and mortality HR: 1.19 (95% CI: 0.54-6.95). Categorizing patients into a two-dimensional framework seems inadequate to study complex, multifactorial outcomes. A personalized approach based on known fall and fracture risk factors might be preferable.