Osteoporosis and fragility fractures: risk assessment, management and prevention
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Osteoporosis and fragility fractures: risk assessment, management and prevention

Jennie Walker Divisional lead nurse for research and innovation, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, England

Why you should read this article
  • To enhance your awareness of the risk factors for osteoporosis, fragility fractures and falls

  • To understand the pharmacological interventions and lifestyle changes that can reduce risk of fragility fractures in older people

  • To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal condition characterised by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of the bones that disproportionately affects older people. Older people with osteoporosis are at increased risk of sustaining fragility fractures, and this risk is compounded by factors such as falls and frailty. Fragility fractures can have several physical and psychological effects, potentially affecting an older person’s quality of life and reducing their life expectancy. Therefore, it is important that nurses can identify individuals at risk of osteoporosis and recognise the factors that may predict fragility fractures. This article outlines the main risk factors for osteoporosis and details the assessment and management of patients with this condition. It also explains the pharmacological interventions and lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of fragility fractures in older people with osteoporosis.

Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2019.e1153

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

jennie.walker@nuh.nhs.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Walker J (2019) Osteoporosis and fragility fractures: risk assessment, management and prevention. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2019.e1153

Published online: 19 December 2019

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more