Osteoporotic fractures in adults under 65 without prior indications for BMD testing: a call to reevaluate screening guidelines.

BACKGROUND

Despite the availability of effective interventions, a substantial number of osteoporosis patients remain underdiagnosed and undertreated, particularly those under 65 years of age. This study aimed to assess the frequency of osteoporotic fractures in patients under 65 years referred to a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) clinic and to evaluate the applicability of current Bone Mineral Density (BMD) testing guidelines.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of the medical profiles of patients enrolled in the FLS clinic from April 2022 to March 2024. The primary objectives of the study were to determine the proportion of patients seen in an FLS clinic for osteoporotic fractures who did not meet usual criteria for bone density screening, and amongst those patients, the number whose bone density measurements would have resulted in a diagnosis of osteoporosis. The secondary objectives of the study were the frequency of different BMD indications in this population and the impact of T-score Range and Age Threshold on Fracture Detection.

RESULTS

Among the 1,248 patients analyzed, 772 (61.9%) were under 65 years. Of these, only 34% had indications for BMD testing according to the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) guidelines. Fragility fractures after age 40, smoking and diseases associated with bone loss were the most frequent underlying conditions, justifying the BMD testing. (Respectively 143 (18.4%), 178 (22.4%), 139 (18%))

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of patients under 65 years with fragility fractures do not meet current BMD testing criteria, potentially leading to unrecognized osteoporosis and subsequent fractures. This underscores the urgent need to revise osteoporosis screening guidelines to better identify at-risk individuals, thereby reducing the burden of fragility fractures.