Fragility fractures account for a significant proportion of trauma admissions and clinic attendances in the UK. Hip fractures constitute a major part of these fractures followed by wrist, spine and humerus. With the increasing elderly population and increasing life expectancy, incidences of these fractures have increased proportionately. Hip fractures cause significant morbidity and mortality because of existing medical co-morbidities or perioperative complications. In order to decrease the overall incidence of osteoporotic fractures and improve outcome of surgical treatment, different approaches to prevention and treatment are currently evolving throughout the NHS. These include primary prevention through management of osteoporosis and secondary prevention aimed at treating osteoporosis and reducing further fractures. In this article, we highlight the different care pathways that could effectively decrease the incidence of fragility fractures as well as the morbidity and mortality in these patients.
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