Prediction Of Fracture By Clinico-genetic Profiling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,339,215.00
Summary
The loss of bone with advancing age is the main cause of osteoporosis and bone fracture. Bone loss is highly variable between individuals, and we are not sure why. I want to find out factors that contribute to bone loss, and then use this knowledge to identify individuals at high risk of excessive bone loss for early prevention. My goal over the next 5 years is to create a new clinico-genetic model for assessing the rate of bone loss, and predicting the risk of fracture for an individual.
Atypical femoral fractures (AFF) are uncommon, but catastrophic, complications of the anti-osteoporosis medications, bisphosphonates. We aim to identify patients either protected from, or at risk of, AFF by identifying changes in their bone geometry, structure and quality, and genes increasing risk of these fractures. In this way, these cheap and effective anti-osteoporosis treatments can be targeted to patients at the lowest risk of AFF and alternative treatments to those at highest risk.
Making The First Osteoporotic Fracture The Last - Implementation And Analysis Of An Evidence-based, Integrated Model Of Care For Secondary Fracture Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,500,000.00
Summary
Despite the availability of effective treatments, 4 out of 5 Australians receive no therapy following an osteoporotic fracture. As a consequence, many patients sustain further fragility fractures, resulting in lengthy hospital stays & great cost to the community. This project will implement & evaluate an evidence-based model of fracture prevention that is integrated across health care sectors, establishing its feasibility and clinical effectiveness in preventing osteoporotic re-fractures.