Osteoporosis and fragility fractures

Tackling the care gap in osteoporosis: Let’s question fractures more

By strengthening the connection between fragility fractures and osteoporosis, we aim to close the care gap and create a world free of fragility fractures.

Osteoporosis literally means “porous bone,” and leads to reduced bone quality and density, making bones weak and fragile.¹ Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures, even from a slight bump or fall — what is known as a fragility fracture.¹

Every 3 seconds, someone somewhere experiences a fragility fracture caused by osteoporosis² — resulting in approximately 9 million fractures worldwide every year.^2,3 In fact, each year, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 will experience a fragility fracture globally in their lifetime.³ And, as the world's elderly population continues to grow, the number of fragility fractures is predicted to rise.³

Despite this, osteoporosis remains alarmingly overlooked; up to 80% of people who experience a fragility fracture are neither identified nor treated for osteoporosis⁴, even though the risk of a subsequent fracture is highest shortly after the first.^5,6

Because of this unmet need, it is crucial to raise awareness and strengthen the connection between fractures and osteoporosis in order to close the care gap.⁵ By questioning fractures more, we can help identify osteoporosis as the underlying cause of fragility fractures.⁷ This will reduce the time to diagnosis and treatment, supporting and empowering those with osteoporosis to receive optimal care and helping them maintain their independence for as long as possible.²

UCB works closely with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) to improve patient care through a network of Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) — coordinated, multidisciplinary services designed to improve secondary fracture prevention.⁸ IOF’s Capture the Fracture program has 1,000 registered FLSs in nearly 60 countries across the globe, supporting three-quarters of a million patients annually.⁸ Offered through hospitals, these services are dedicated to identifying patients at very high risk of fracture early, ensuring they receive appropriate care, and reducing the risk of subsequent, often more severe, fractures.⁸