– I noticed on the bunade that I had become shorter. I don’t know how many times I had to cut off his coat because he was on the floor. Randi Stokka thought the bunade had its say – again. And blamed the drug. The truth was that she had become six centimeters shorter. She felt that her back hurt, but didn’t think anything was wrong. When she had to go to the emergency room after a fall, it was a big surprise. – I was actually shocked. I was also told that I was crippled and had broken my back. At Stavanger University Hospital, everyone over the age of 50 who comes in with a broken bone is examined to see if they have osteoporosis. This is bone fragility or osteoporosis. This makes the bone more fragile, and increases the risk of bone fracture. Fractures due to fragility usually occur in the vertebrae, femoral neck or forearm. Osteoporosis in itself causes no problems, it is the fracture that causes pain. Bone density decreases steadily from the age of 40, and decreases especially rapidly in the first years after menopause in women. It is estimated that approximately one in two women and one in four men over the age of 50 will experience a bone fracture due to osteoporosis during their lifetime. Up to 25 per cent have a new offense within 1–2 years. Source: NHI In the last year, they have used a form to keep track of who has osteoporosis, what treatment they receive, whether it helps, and that it is done equally for all patients. The hospital is currently the only hospital that does this job in this way. – We see that this form has good use and value for the patients. It is important to build up the bone density again to prevent new fractures and pain, says senior orthopedic surgeon at Stavanger University Hospital Ane Djuv. Systematic registration of symptoms, offences, treatment and health status means that senior doctor Ane Djuv and her colleagues can provide a better offer for people with osteoporosis at Stavanger University Hospital. Photo: Åse Karin Hansen / number 1 of 5 had a broken back In the form there is, among other things, a question about height. If the patient has shrunk by more than four centimetres, the alarm goes off. With the help of a back examination, it was discovered that 450 of the patients also had fractures in their backs that were not previously known. The surveys from the form show, among other things: 77 per cent were osteoporosis 20 per cent had a broken back detected for the first time 55 per cent in total had broken the back – 450 is quite a lot of the 2200 we have screened this year. I think there are a lot of people who walk around with broken backs who don’t know it. The bone mass inside a bone should look like the uppermost vertebra if it is healthy. The next vertebrae are affected by bone fragility and have become more porous. Graphics: Lilia Solonari / Shutterstock/NTB Patients who have broken their back have up to seven times higher risk of having another break in the next two years. In addition, it does something to the whole body. – When you break your back like that gradually, you collapse in height. The posture of the body changes, you fall forward and get another balance point that also goes beyond the neck. All of the internal organs are squeezed together. It has a lot to do with the quality of life and pain, says Djuv. Many are surprised Several patients news has spoken to say that they were surprised when they heard that they had broken their back. Even if they had shrunk by four centimeters or more, they did not think that it could be caused by a break in the back. – It is very good that Stavanger University Hospital has this form. If I hadn’t come to treatment, I could still go up like my mother did. She was really bad, says Randi Stokka. Randi Stokka has been on medication for almost a year to get a stronger bone structure. At the beginning of next year, she will find out if it has helped when she goes in for a new examination. Photo: Åse Karin Hansen / news Norway is at the top of the world in terms of bone running. There are no completely accurate figures, but there is reason to believe that around 300,000 people in Norway have the disease. All women over the age of 65 and men over the age of 70 are advised to have their osteoporosis checked. No one quite knows why so many people are disabled in Norway and the Nordic countries. But climate, environment, genes and lifestyle are pointed to as reasons for the high incidence. Didn’t have time to wait for a national register Experts on fractures and osteoporosis have long wanted a national register of those who have suffered a fracture and whether the fracture is caused by osteoporosis. This is to be able to provide better treatment and gain more knowledge about who is affected. The uppermost bone has osteoporosis or bone fragility, while the lowermost is how a bone should look on the inside. Illustration: Shutterstock / NTB Ane Djuv has been and is at the forefront of getting the national register established. She and her colleagues have been working on this for eight years, and it is still not in place. Therefore, they were able to create their own form together with CheckWare and Helse Vest IKT while they wait. – The work with a national register is a seven-step process which I understand takes the time it needs. Whether it is pure frustration, or that I had the time and energy to make the form? It was perhaps a combination of both, says Ane Djuv. Ane Djuv is head of the register for bone fractures and osteoporosis assessment, head of department for the orthopedic osteoporosis outpatient clinic and senior doctor in orthopedics at Stavanger University Hospital, to name a few of her roles. Photo: Åse Karin Hansen / news It has received international attention through the medical journal BMJ. – Many people have been interested in hearing about this. Department director at Helse Vest, Panchakulasingam Kandiah, says it has been a challenge to find technical solutions that will make it easier to enter data into a national register. This is one of the reasons why it takes so long to create a national register. – We will take responsibility for the national register and the associated costs when it is finally approved by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. It won’t be long before it rains, says Kandiah.
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Discovered fractures in the backs of 450 patients using a new system – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
