Prevention and therapy of fractures in the elderly: Costs and benefits

Summary for health care, nursing and rehabilitation of bone fractures in the elderly, in particular, of fractures of the femur, are in continuous increase. The allocation of financial resources for their prevention have to take into account the costs and benefits of both drug and non-pharmacological treatments, which should be validated through experimental trials based on valid endpoints. These preventive measures must be applied to the population at highest risk of fracture, in particular, in women older than 60 years of age.