The Cardiovascular
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FRACTURE Index

5-year osteoporotic fracture risk in older women.

FRACTURE Index
Age
Fracture after age 50
Mother had a hip fracture after age 50
Weight <=57 kg (125 lb)
Current smoker
Uses arms to stand up from a chair
Femoral neck BMD T-score (optional)
Leave at 'not available' to score without densitometry.
Result0 points

Below the suggested threshold for higher fracture risk.

Score (without BMD)
0 points

When to use

  • Estimating 5-year fracture risk in postmenopausal / older women to decide on densitometry or treatment.

Formula

Age (0-5), fracture after 50 (+1), maternal hip fracture (+1), weight <=57 kg (+1), current smoking (+1), needing arms to rise from a chair (+2), and optional femoral-neck BMD T-score (+0 to +4). Suggested cut-offs: >=4 without BMD or >=6 with BMD.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • Developed and validated in women aged >=65; not intended for men.

References

  1. Black DM, et al. Osteoporos Int. 2001;12(7):519-28.