ABSTRACT
Fragility fractures are becoming an epidemic in the elderly. These patients have great demands of care and require appropriate investigations and treatment for the prevention of secondary fractures. National guidelines from the British Orthopaedic Association and Royal Osteoporosis Society recommend that every hospital that provides definitive fracture care should have a fracture liaison service (FLS) program, which should be led by a designated consultant physician (usually an orthogeriatrician), be fully integrated into the routine orthopedic fracture clinic service, and have a linked metabolic bone service. Central to any FLS is a dedicated clinical practitioner to coordinate all aspects, usually a specially trained nurse, referred to as a fragility prevention practitioner. The major objective of an FLS is to identify patients who sustain fragility fractures, ensure that their risk of a similar event in the future is assessed, and provide appropriate advice or treatment to reduce this risk. It has been shown that an effective FLS can reduce the risk of further fracture by up to 50%. Numerous national guidelines have been produced that make developing an FLS an absolute priority.
