Evaluation and medical management of fragility fractures of the upper extremity.

Osteoporosis continues to be a major health condition plaguing the aging population. The major manifestation of osteoporosis, the development of fragility fractures, is a burden both clinically and economically on patients and the nation's health care system, with up to half of all American women sustaining a fragility fracture in their older years. The high frequency of injuries to the distal radius and proximal humerus should lead upper extremity surgeons to take pause and recognize the magnitude of impact these fractures have on their patient population. Recommended interventions span a spectrum of aggressiveness and have various financial implications.