Fracture liaison services: promoting enhanced bone health care.

Overview

The high prevalence of osteoporotic fractures and their major effect on morbidity and mortality emphasizes the critical need to optimize bone health care. Patients presenting with fragility fractures are at high risk of subsequent fracture, but treatment rates have remained low for these patients. Recently developed fracture liaison services have successfully increased osteoporosis treatment, with improved patient outcomes. We review factors contributing to the treatment gap in osteoporosis, the function of fracture liaison services in reducing this gap, and lessons learned from the literature on effective formats, key elements, and suggestions for managing challenges in implementation of a fracture liaison service.