Treatment of osteoporosis and hip fractures in a Spanish health area.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this longitudinal retrospective ecological study was to evaluate the consumption of anti-osteoporotic medications and the evolution of pertrochanteric and femoral neck (FN), subtrochanteric and diaphyseal hip fractures between 2005 and 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were obtained from our Hospital Admissions Service (absolute number of fractures) and the Technical Directorate of Pharmacy (defined daily dose and absolute number of containers consumed of bisphosphonates (BP), raloxifene and strontium ranelate). RESULTS The overall incidence density of FN in 2005-2010 was 124.8 new cases per 100,000 persons per year. BP consumption increased between 2005 and 2010 to a peak of 70,452 containers consumed in 2010, while consumption of raloxifene declined. The number of subtrochanteric and diaphyseal fractures remained stable, but FN reached a peak in 2008 (N = 350) and fell thereafter (N = 284 in 2010). The percentage reduction in the number of FN in the period studied (2009: -14% and 2010: -11% compared to 2005) corresponds temporally with the increased consumption of BP (2009: +76% and 2010: +84% compared to 2005). CONCLUSIONS We found an inverse temporal association between the annual consumption of BP and the annual number of FN during 2005-2010. This is probably related to the cumulative effect of BP, although, given the limitations of the study design, other studies are needed to confirm our data.