THE TREATMENT OF SENILE AND POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS AS ONE OF THE MAJOR WAYS OF FRACTURE PREVENTION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

Summary. The treatment of fractures in elderly patients is a big orthopaeadic and socio-economic problem. The number of fractures, especially hip fractures, increases year after year. Approximately 250 hip fracture patients per year are hospitalized in the Orthopaedic-Traumatology Clinic in Nis, which makes nearly 20% of all hospitalized patients. Enormous funds are spent for their treatment, especially the surgical one, which demands expensive implants for fracture fixation or total hip replacement. The main cause of fracture in the elderly is osteoporosis. Orthopaedic surgeons are daily occupied with radius fractures, fractures of the proximal part of the humerus, hip fractures, thoracolumbar vertebral body compression fractures, ankle fractures, etc. The low energy trauma is the cause of more than 90% fractures. That is why the proper understanding, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis are of great importance for prevention of fractures in the elderly.