Characteristics of patients with very high fracture risk in a community-dwelling geriatric cohort.

Objective: Bone anabolic treatment has been shown to be superior to oral bisphosphonates, especially in osteoporosis patients with a very high fracture-risk. The current German osteoporosis guideline classifies the very high 3-year fracture-risk based upon a novel fracture-risk model. As age is a severe risk-factor, we examined the distribution and associations to geriatric assessment parameters of the very high-risk group in a well-characterized cohort of community-dwelling geriatric patients.

Methods: Analyses were based on 166 patients (mean age 82 ± 6 years) taken from MUSAR (MUnich SArcopenia Registry). Fracture-risk was calculated as described in the current German guideline. Thereupon, patients were allocated to the low-/moderate (<5 %), high- (5-10 %) or very high-risk group (>10 %). Associations of geriatric assessment parameters with the group allocation to the fracture-risk group were evaluated by covariate-adjusted linear regression analysis.

Results: >80 % of the study population were at an increased fracture-risk. Besides, >50 % were allocated to the very high-risk group. Patients in the very high-risk group showed limitations in all physical performance tests (short physical performance battery (SPPB), gaitspeed, handgrip strength and chair rise test). Also, polypharmacy and a risk for malnutrition (from mini nutritional assessment short form (MNA-SF)), were present. All parameters showed significant associations with group allocation to very high-risk group.

Conclusion: Most of the geriatric patients are at a very high-risk for osteoporotic fractures. Also, this group presented several limitations in the comprehensive geriatric assessment highlighting the vulnerability of this group. Clinicians need to reinforce fracture-risk assessment and familiarize with treatment options.