American Association for Hand Surgery

AAHS Home AAHS Home Past & Future Meetings Past & Future Meetings
Facebook    Twitter

Back to 2026 ePosters

Decreasing Use Of Osteoporosis Treatment Despite Increased DEXA Screening After Distal Radius Fractures
Adam M Gordon, MD, MBA, Patrick M Nian, BS; Jack M Choueka, MD
Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

NTRODUCTION: To understand national trends and costs associated with the utilization of anti-osteoporotic medication and DEXA screening within the year following a sentinel/primary distal radius fracture.
METHODS: A nationwide administrative claims database from 2010 to 2021 was queried to identify patients aged ?50 years with a sentinel occurrence of a primary closed distal radius fracture. Patients with prior hip fractures and/or compression fractures of the spine were excluded. Linear regression models were used to report and assess significant trends in the utilization of anti-osteoporotic medication and DEXA screenings within the year following the fracture. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess factors associated with receiving or not receiving anti-osteoporotic medication. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.
RESULTS: A total of 16,892 sentinel distal radius fractures were included in the study. Only 6.5% (n = 1,098) of patients received anti-osteoporotic medication in the year following the distal radius fracture. Treatment rates for osteoporosis declined from 7.4% in 2010 to 5.4% in 2021, whereas the rate of DEXA screening increased from 13.2% in 2010 to 25.7% in 2021. The most commonly prescribed treatment was alendronate sodium (n = 860; 78.3%-$52/patient). Factors associated with increased odds of receiving anti-osteoporotic medication were age 70 to 79 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; P = .011), age 80 to 89 years (OR, 1.73; P = .001), and having an Elixhauser Comorbidity Index score of 3 (OR, 2.18; P = .021) or > 3 (OR, 2.09; P = .020).
SUMMARY: Despite the increased utilization of DEXA screening following sentinel distal radius fractures, the proportion of individuals receiving anti-osteoporotic treatment continues to decline over time.
Back to 2026 ePosters