Fracture Risk Assessment and How to Implement a Fracture Liaison Service

The human, healthcare and financial costs of fragility fracture are considerable and at present there is an apparent need to address the growing gap between those who require treatment and those who actually receive it. Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) have been established to address this gap through the identification, treatment and monitoring of those sustaining fragility fractures with the aim of preventing secondary fractures. In this chapter, we present data from studies which support the instigation of FLS as clinically- and cost-effective initiatives. We provide a step-by-step approach to implementation and benchmarking and provide advice regarding the development of an FLS in a low-resource setting.