A 2-year follow-up of a novel Fracture Liaison Service: can we reduce the mortality in elderly hip fracture patients? A prospective cohort study.

Osteoporosis is an underdiagnosed disease that results in bone fragility and risk of fractures. Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) is a secondary prevention model which identifies patients at risk for fragility fractures. The introduction of a FLS protocol showed an increase of anti-osteoporotic drug prescription and significant reduction of all-cause mortality. INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are the most severe osteoporotic fracture due to their associated disability and elevated risk of mortality. FLS programs have enhanced the management of osteoporosis-related fractures. Our objective is to analyze the effect of the FLS model over survival and 2-year mortality rate following a hip fracture. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study on patients over 60 years of age who suffered a hip fracture during 3 consecutive years, before and after the implementation of the FLS in our center (i.e., between January 2016 and December 2018). Patients' information was withdrawn from our local computerized database. Patients were followed for 2 years after the hip fracture. Mortality and re-fracture rates were compared between the two groups using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: A total of 1101 patients were included in this study (i.e., 357 before FLS implementation and 744 after FLS implementation). Anti-osteoporotic drugs were more frequently prescribed after FLS implementation (583 (78.4%) vs 44 (12.3%); p < 0.01). There was an increase of adherence to treatment after FLS implementation (227 (38.9%) vs 12 (3.3%); p = 0.03). A total of 222 (29.8%) patients after FLS implementation and 114 (31.9%) individuals before FLS implementation (p = 0.44) died during the follow-up period. A second fracture occurred in 49 (6.6%) patients after FLS implementation and in 26 (7.3%) individuals before FLS implementation (p = 0.65). Patients who were treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs after the implementation of the FLS protocol had a lower all-cause 1-year and 2-year mortality compared with patients managed before the implementation of the FLS protocol (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-0.96; HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.69-1.09, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a FLS protocol was associated with an increase of anti-osteoporotic treatment, higher adherence, and greater survival in elderly hip fracture patients. There was a significant reduction of all-cause mortality in the FLS patients treated with anti-osteoporotic. However, the application of the FLS did not affect the risk of suffering a second fragility fracture.

Fracture liaison service and mortality in elderly hip fracture patients: a prospective cohort study.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disorder that results in increased bone fragility and risk of fractures. Hip fracture is the most important fragility fracture. Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) is a secondary prevention model which identifies patients at risk for fragility fractures. The introduction of an intensive FLS model could decrease 1-year-mortality of hip fracture patients. INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are a clinical manifestation of osteoporosis, and these patients are at risk of premature death and suffering subsequent fractures. FLS is an approach for secondary facture prevention by identifying patients with fragility fractures and initiating the appropriate treatment. Our objective is to analyze the effect of the FLS model over the first-year mortality rates following a hip fracture. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study on patients over 60 years of age who suffered a hip fracture during two consecutive years, before and after the implementation of the FLS in our center (i.e., between January 2016 and December 2017). Patients' information was withdrawn from our local computerized database. Patients were followed for 1 year after the hip fracture. Mortality and re-fracture rates were compared between the two groups using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: A total of 724 individuals were included in this study (i.e., 357 before FLS implementation and 367 after FLS implementation). Anti-osteoporotic drugs were more frequently prescribed after FLS implementation [275 (74.9%) vs 44 (12.3%); p < 0.01]. A total of 74 (20.2%) patients after FLS implementation and 92 (25.8%) individuals before FLS implementation (p = 0.07) died during the follow-up period. A second fracture occurred in 17 (4.6%) patients after FLS implementation and 13 (3.6%) individuals before FLS implementation (p = 0.50). Patients who were treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs after the implementation of the FLS protocol had a lower 1-year mortality compared with patients managed before the implementation of the FLS protocol (treated or not treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs) [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-0.94; p < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe significant 1-year-mortality differences following a hip fracture between patients treated before the implementation of an FLS protocol and patients treated after its implementation. The application of the FLS did not affect the risk of suffering a second osteoporotic fracture. However, patients treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs in an FLS context had a lower mortality rate compared with patients managed before the implementation of the FLS. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: 2.