ABSTRACT
Introduction Low-trauma fractures (often also called age-related fractures, mild-moderate energy fractures, or osteoporotic fractures) o f elderly people are a major public health problem, not only in economic terms, but especially with respect to the health and well-being o f the elderly, because they represent one o f the most important causes of long-standing pain, functional impairment, disability, and death among this popula tion |1-3|. Moreover, a fracture, or even the mere fear o f the consequences o f a frac ture (such as isolation, loss o f independence, and admission to a nursing home), can cause significant mental suffering and psychological stress to these people |4|.
