FRAX® (fracture risk assessment tool): A prognostic tool of osteoporotic fractures. Review.

FRAX® (fracture risk assessment tool) is an online algorithm that evaluates simultaneously all the proven risk factors for fragility fractures. It has been designed by WHO in collaboration with the university of Sheffield. It provides an answer in the form of percentage of the possibility of our patient to suffer a fracture at the neck of the femur or any other major osteoporotic fracture in the next 10 years. It can be applied in any country that could provide the appropriate epidemiological data. The system does not require BMD measurement or T score. It provides an answer customized to each patient and assists the physicians to make therapeutic decisions mainly for osteopenic patients. It is a cheap method for population screening. Unfortunately, it cannot point out the fast bone losers and it cannot be applied to patients already receiving antiosteoporotic medications.