[Epidemiology of bone and joint disease - the present and future - . Fracture risk and secondary prevention following fragility fracture].

Abstract Incidences of fragility fractures, such as of the vertebral and hip, increase with age. Both the number and severity of prevalent vertebral fractures involve independent risk factors for future fractures. However, it has been reported that the vast majority of patients who experience fragility fractures do not receive anti-osteoporotic therapy. Among patients who begin anti- osteoporosis treatment after fracture, adherence to treatment remains suboptimal. The recent development of anti-osteoporosis drugs has revolutionized the field of fracture prevention by reducing risk more than 50%. A consensus of systematic and multidisciplinary approaches to secondary fragility fracture prevention, called the Fracture (Osteoporosis) Liaison Service, has been developed over the last decade.