Prior osteoporotic fractures are strongly associated with subsequent fractures. To prevent this, the diagnosis of osteoporosis following an osteoporotic fracture is important. The measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) is the first step in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis. Therefore, this study aimed 1) to evaluate the rate of BMD measurement after osteoporotic fracture in the Korean population, and 2) to determine whether the rate of BMD measurement after osteoporotic fracture changed between 2005 and 2010.

Using the database of the Health Insurance Review Assessment Service (HIRA), we identified patients with osteoporotic fractures (hip, spine, humerus, and wrist fractures) in 2005 and 2010. BMD examinations were evaluated by using procedure codes and medicines, exclusively approved for osteoporosis treatment.

During the study period, about half of all patients with osteoporotic fractures had BMD measurement. Between 2005 and 2010, the rate of BMD measurement significantly increased from 42.0% (65,556/156,190) to 53.9% (103,785/192,556) ( P <0.001).

Our results showed that about half of all patients with osteoporotic fractures had BMD measurement, and that screening for osteoporosis in patients with osteoporotic fractures increased between 2005 and 2010.