Detecting osteoporosis – and taking action

Around six million women and men in Germany are suffering from osteoporosis. There are around 800,000 new cases every year, and one in three women over 50 is affected. However, treatment figures are declining. All too often, the condition is not diagnosed. This is because a wide range of practitioners is needed to keep this widespread disease in check: general practitioners, specialist physicians, therapists and dieticians, orthotists and the industry. The German Kölner Netzwerk Osteoporose (KNO; Cologne Osteoporosis Network) shows how a reliable transfer of patients from hospital to outpatient care can be handled successfully. Bauerfeind also contributes to this process: the straightening back orthosis Spinova Osteo reduces pain, counteracts the risk of falls and encourages mobilization. A large-scale clinical study about this is currently being conducted at the Bonny University Hospital. This study is intended to provide scientific evidence for guideline-based treatment using the orthosis. One thing is certain, even now: osteoporosis treatment of the future is going to be interlinked.

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