Sammanfattning
Introduction: Early diagnosis and treatment are key factors in the prevention of osteoporosis. Bone mass measurement is, however, unsuited as a screening procedure. Thus, only patients with one or more risk factors - such as fractures related to osteoporosis - should be referred for bone densitometry. Materials and methods: We measured the bone mineral density in the spine and hips of 52 otherwise healthy women 50 to 80 years of age out of 132 female patients with Colles' fracture after primary treatment in a public emergency ward. Results: 21 patients (40%) had manifest osteoporosis revealed by bone mass measurement, whereas 24 (46%) had osteopenia and seven (14%) had normal bone density values. 18 patients (34.6%) had previous fractures possibly related to osteoporosis, of which 15 were fractures of the forearm. Among patients with previous fractures related to osteoporosis, there was an increased risk of having a low Z-score (< -1). Discussion: There is a high probability of osteoporosis among women with Colles' fracture despite otherwise good health, particularly if they have previously had fractures possibly related to osteoporosis. It is recommended that this group of patients be referred for bone densitometry and subsequently prescribed appropriate medication.