Prevent fractures, start with preventing osteoporosis!

  Thoracolumbar spine fractures and femoral neck fractures are common fractures in the elderly, often even after minor trauma, due to osteoporosis in the elderly.  Osteoporosis is a manifestation of skeletal aging in the elderly, and osteoporosis causes a gradual loss of bone mass. As a result of osteoporosis, the mechanically sound engineering structure of bone trabeculae is lost, and the ability to withstand pressure and tension is significantly reduced, resulting in fragile bones that can cause fractures with a slight external force. Among the human femur, the femoral neck is the thinner and withstands the greatest force, so the incidence of femoral neck fractures increases with age and the development of osteoporosis.  Patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures and femoral neck fractures are more likely to be over 60 years of age. Due to their old age and frailty, patients often have a series of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, chronic bronchitis, etc. Long-term bed rest after fracture is very likely to cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, vascular embolism, cerebrovascular accidents, bedsores, etc. These complications not only affect the healing of the fracture, but also threaten the life of the patient.  The elderly should actively participate in outdoor activities, get more sunlight, and try to increase their appetite. If necessary, take appropriate vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent deficiencies due to vitamin D and calcium.  The elderly should actively participate in all kinds of physical exercise within their reach, such as practicing the 18 methods of gong, the Eight Duan Jin, taijiquan and jogging and other exercises. This will increase blood circulation within the muscles and bones, which will help to maintain normal bone mass and prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis. In life, the elderly should not lift or carry heavy objects, avoid accidental injuries and avoid falls to reduce the chance of fractures.  According to the statistics of developed countries: elderly people with osteoporosis fracture have 20% fracture reoccurrence rate within 1 year; similarly, 20% elderly people leave the world within 1 year because of the indirect cause of fracture. Therefore, once a fracture has occurred, it is important to be proactive in dealing with it. There are many surgical and therapeutic methods available to get older adults out of bed early and free from the pain of prolonged bed rest. For example, minimally invasive vertebroplasty allows the elderly to leave bed the day after surgery, and within a few days after artificial femoral head replacement, most elderly people can leave bed and walk. In Jilin, these treatments are reimbursed by the Agricultural Cooperative, Resident Health Insurance and Employee Health Insurance.  In addition, new drugs for osteoporosis, such as calcitonin and diphosphonates, are not yet available to the rural cooperative, but are reimbursed by the medical insurance.  Although there are already many treatment methods, we still need to adhere to the principle of prevention. Use good living habits and diet to protect our health!