Diagnosis of osteoporosis in geriatric patients - possibilities and limitations

Osteoporosis with its increased risk of low-trauma fractures has to be regarded as a disorder with significant influence on quality of life, increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Therapies of osteoporosis, in particular drug therapies aiming to reduce the fracture risk, are in general only initiated after diagnostic procedures prior to the start of osteoporosis therapy. Consequently, diagnosis of osteoporosis plays a key role in optimized patient care and management. Medical history, physical examination, planar X-ray, osteodensitometry and a range of laboratory parameters make up the key steps in the diagnostic work up of osteoporosis. In some clinical settings such as the investigation of possible occult fractures after falls, additional imaging methods including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scintigraphy may be necessary to make up adequate diagnosis. However, it has to be questioned in which way all these diagnostic investigations can be effectively used in the diagnostic work up of geriatric patients. The article will give an overview of the different diagnostic methods with their possibilities and limitations and will present possible diagnostic work flows based on frequent clinical settings seen in geriatric patients.