An Osteoporotic Fragility Fracture Every 3 Seconds, Worldwide Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, HKUMed in collaboration with The Hong Kong Medical Association and St. John’s Ambulance, Organising Free Online Lectures to Bust Orthopaedic Myths

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 7 June 2021 – Osteoporosis is a common disease with no obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage, while it can eventually cause serious health problems.  It is estimated that an osteoporotic fragility fracture occurs every three seconds around the world. To increase the public awareness of musculoskeletal problems and to bust the myths of orthopaedics issues, the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) joins forces with the Hong Kong Medical Association and St. John’s Ambulance in June to organize free online lectures – “HKU Bone and Muscle Health Series”, whereby orthopaedic surgeons are invited to share with the public on orthopaedics health topics such as osteoporosis.

According to statistics, there are 300,000
menopausal women and 100,000 men aged 50 years or above in Hong Kong who are
suffering from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis reduces patients’ bone density, causing
fragility of the bone structure, which can easily lead to fractures, as well as
partial loss of mobility and self-care ability. 
This would result in reducing the quality of life and even causing various
complications. The hip bone, spine, and distal radius (wrist bone) are the most
commonly found fragile fractures.

Elderly is not deemed to have fragile
bones, Regular check-ups can reduce the risks

The organizer believes there is a lack of awareness
on osteoporosis among the general public and the myths are remained unsolved.  For example, the public mistakenly believe
that osteoporosis and fragile fractures are the inevitable consequences of
aging. In fact, osteoporosis is curable while fractures are preventable.  High-risk groups, including menopausal women
and the elderly, can do regular osteoporosis risk assessments to reduce the
risks of fragile fractures. When the patient’s bone density reaches the level
of thinning or looseness, and such loss caused by other pathologies has been
ruled out, the doctor will consider prescribing osteoporosis drugs to slow down
the patient’s rate of bone loss in order to prevent fragile fractures.

Adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D helps prevent
osteoporosis

In addition to medical treatment, a balanced diet
and lifestyle can also help prevent osteoporosis, especially for those young
people and low-risk groups.  The daily
recommended intake are 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 to 1,000
international units of vitamin D. 
Calcium can slow down bone loss and reduce the risk of
osteoporosis.  Vitamin D plays a vital
role in helping the body absorb calcium and other minerals which are useful to bone-building.

To eliminate the misunderstanding, the
public should pay extra attention to the health of bones and arthrosis

To further enhance the public’s awareness
of musculoskeletal problems, the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, HKUMed
will collaborate with the Hong Kong Medical Association and St. John’s
Ambulance, to jointly organize the “HKU Bone and Muscle Health Series”.  Two free public lectures will be held on 18 and
25 June, orthopaedic surgeons are invited to share health knowledge relating to
osteoporosis and orthopaedics myths with the public online. The organizer hopes
that the public will pay extra attention to bone and arthrosis health and start
preventing those problems at an early stage.

Aside from the free online lectures for public, medical
lectures will also be organized for doctors and healthcare professionals, to
provide the latest treatment information on orthopaedic diseases as well as to
further improve the medical and healthcare standards in Hong Kong.

“HKU Bone and Muscle Health
Series” free online public lectures information (in Cantonese):

You can log on to the following link or scan the QR
code to register for the free online lectures of “HKU Bone and Muscle
Health Series” (in Cantonese): https://bit.ly/3x71Umz

For details of the lectures, please visit https://ortho60.hku.hk/boneandmusclehealth/

Case sharing

Bone fractures are preventable if appropriate
treatment is given in time – The case of Madam Wong

Madam Wong is a 70 year-old granny with
pretty good body functions and habits of doing regular exercises and jogging. Unfortunately,
Ms. Wong slipped and fell on the ground half a year ago and was landed on her
wrist.  She was diagnosed with a
fractured wrist bone after taking X-rays and visiting a traditional Chinese
bonesetter, and had a plaster cast for two months.  She did not consult any medical doctor at
that time, nor did she undergo an osteoporosis test.  Two months later, she fell on the ground again
and resulted in back pain.  After seeking
treatment, she was diagnosed with a compression fracture of the lumbar
spine.  Severe low back pain caused Madam
Wong to only make slow movements close to her neighbourhood and lost the
ability to do any exercise.

In the middle of one night, Madam Wong got
up to answer the call of nature.  However,
she slipped and fell in the washroom accidentally, resulting in her right leg
completely unmovable. She was eventually diagnosed with hip fracture when she
was taken to the hospital.  Although the
operation was performed in time, her mobility is not as good as before.  She needs to sit in a wheelchair most of the
time, and her range of mobility has been confined to staying at home.  Since her family members could not take care
of her, and she was eventually sent to a nursing home.  The doctor explained that if she had received
appropriate osteoporosis treatment timely after the first fracture, the subsequent
fractures could have been prevented.