The World Health Organization has developed a new online tool for calculating osteoporosis risk. It is in its beta stage of development, but is an exciting refinement of traditional methods for calculating likelihood of bone fracture due to osteoporosis.
The algorithm works by combining clinical risk factors such as family history of fracture, smoking, and bone mineral density data into an overall score. The algorithm output gives a 10-year probability of fracture broken down into the likeliness of hip fracture versus the likeliness of major osteoporotic fracture of the spine, forearm, shoulder, or hip. The test is available in its full form online, or as a simplified questionnaire that can be downloaded and printed out.
Full references concerning the development and implementation of this tool are also available on their website. More information for patients concerned about osteoporosis can be found at Medline Plus or the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
--guest post by Sarah Wright
Monday, March 24, 2008
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