Affiliations: [a] Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| [b] Division of Endocrinology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| [c] Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Dr. K. Ming Chan, Professor, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Tel.: +1 780 248 5767; E-mail: ming.chan@ualberta.ca.
Abstract: Many neuromuscular diseases (NMD) result in muscle weakness, immobility and greater fracture risk. The objective of this study is to determine the fracture risk of adult patients at a multidisciplinary NMD clinic. Fracture risk was calculated using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, the presence of osteoporosis was quantified using bone densitometry and contributing co-morbidities were screened through serum markers. Of the 36 patients studied, 47% were found to be of moderate and high fracture risk. Two thirds of these patients had not been previously screened or treated for osteoporosis. These findings suggest that NMD patients warrant routine screening for osteoporosis and early treatment to reduce fragility fracture.
