Rate of Bone Mineral Density Testing and Subsequent Fracture-Free Interval After Distal Forearm Fracture in the Medicare Population

Purpose Distal forearm fractures are prevalent among the Medicare population. Many patients who sustain these fractures have poor bone health and are at increased risk for subsequent fractures. We sought to determine the rate of bone mineral density (BMD) testing and subsequent fragility fracture-free interval after distal forearm fractures in the Medicare population. Methods We examined the 5% Medicare Standard Analytic File dataset using the PearlDiver Application from 2005 to 2014 to identify patients with distal forearm fractures based on International Classification of DiseaseseNinth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes. We queried these records to determine the incidence and timing of BMD testing after fracture and the number of patients who went on to hip or vertebral fractures. Survival curves were generated using Kaplan-Meier analysis with hip or vertebral fracture as the end point. Results A total of 37,473 patients with distal forearm fractures were identified who did not have BMD testing within the 2 years before fracture. Only 9,605 of this unscreened cohort underwent testing after the fracture (26%) and only 2,684 underwent testing within 6 months (7%). The patients least likely to be tested were males (9%), those aged over 85 years (12%), and those less than 65 years (22%). Twenty percent of these patients sustained a subsequent hip or vertebral fracture (n = 7,326). Patients who underwent testing after fracture had a longer fracture-free interval compared with patients without BMD testing (819 vs 579 days). When separated by sex and controlling for comorbidities, males with BMD testing had a worsened fracture-free interval whereas females had an improved fracture-free interval. Conclusions Bone mineral density testing is underused nationwide in patients sustaining distal forearm fractures despite current guidelines. Orthopedic surgeons should ensure proper testing of patients because this may be an important time point for intervention. Copyright (C) 2021 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.