While still concentrating on their role of treating fractures and alleviating the resulting pain and other symptoms,  medical experts around the world are taking notice of the problem and doing more to recognize and care for the osteoporosis patient’s condition in the days after a fracture. In response to its own studies indicating that 90 percent of patients with such fractures leave the hospital without an osteoporosis work-up, the International Osteoporosis Foundation has just launched a new initiative to educate orthopedic surgeons about the disease and present them with clear clinical guidelines for dealing with it.

While a similar trend has been developing in the United States, it is frequently the patient who must take the lead to ensure adequate care for their osteoporosis. One of the first steps, interestingly enough, is too rule out – or if necessary, confirm – other conditions that may compromise the patient’s health besides osteoporosis. This is particularly true if the fracture was the result of a fall, as most osteoporosis fractures are.

According to the National Institutes of Health, falls are the number one cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence and injury deaths for older adults. While a fall can occasionally be attributed to a specific cause, such as an icy sidewalk or a loose rug, it is possible, especially for an older person, that another ailment contributed to the spill, perhaps by causing a brief loss of consciousness.

After a fall that results in a fracture, it is imperative to receive a complete medical check-up, including evaluation for medical conditions such as a mild stroke or a heart arrhythmia. “The fall warns you that something new may have occurred to cause the fall that needs medical attention," says Dr. Susan Nayfield, chief of the Geriatrics Branch at the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md. and an expert on falls in older people.

Even if some tests were performed in the hospital, patients may want to make a point to see their primary physician as soon as practical after a fracture. In addition to a comprehensive health screening, outside the context of a hospital the patient and physician may have more time and a comfort level to discuss treatment possibilities for the osteoporosis itself. One crucial priority, if it has not already been accomplished, is obtaining a current bone density scan to help determine the amount of bone loss and assess a risk of further fracture. The results can be taken into account with other negative factors – such as family history of fracture, slight frame, smoking, or low lifetime calcium intake – to devise a plan to combat the condition.

Part of facing a fracture combined with an osteoporosis diagnosis is to make an immediate, permanent commitment to taking adequate levels of calcium and Vitamin D. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that those 50 and older take 1200 mg of calcium per day, along with 800-1000 I.U. (international units) of Vitamin D – a recent increase over the previous level suggested.