The rapid aging of society has led to a dramatic increase in fragility fractures, imposing a heavy burden on patients, their families, the health system and society as a whole. In order to overcome this and achieve the goal of restoring patient function and preventing subsequent fractures, a systematic approach to fragility fracture treatment must be realized as soon as possible.
Specifically, there are two points to be considered: 1) the best acute treatment through multidisciplinary and multi-professional cooperation to restore motor function to those who have sustained fragility fractures, especially proximal femur fractures in the elderly and 2) rapid and reliable secondary fracture prevention to prevent subsequent fractures after the initial fragility fracture. The Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) was established in Europe in 2011 to address these issues. Its vision and mission are as follows.
Vision
A world where anybody who sustains a fragility fracture achieves the optimal recovery of independent function and quality of life, with no further fractures.
Mission
To optimize globally the multidisciplinary management of the patient with a fragility fracture, including secondary prevention.
In response to this movement in Europe, the FFN Japan Subcommittee was established in Japan in 2012. In 2015, it became an official organization as the Japan Fragility Fracture Network (NPO) and has been continuing its work. Similar to FFN Global, the purpose of this network is to provide the best possible treatment for patients with fragility fractures through multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration in order to extend the healthy life span of the elderly as well as to prevent patients with fragility fractures from suffering more. Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) will be established through multidisciplinary collaboration of orthopedists, geriatricians, internists, anesthesiologists, gynecologists, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, registered dietitians, social welfare workers, osteoporosis managers and hospital administrators to improve the treatment rate of osteoporosis and prevent secondary fractures by reliably tracking patients.
The NPO Fragility Fracture Network Japan (FFN-Japan) aims to achieve zero QOL decline and zero secondary fractures due to fragility fractures. FFN-Japan also educates and enlightens professionals such as medical staff, nursing care staff and administrative staff as well as the general public.
Fragility Fracture Network Japan
President Takeshi Sawaguchi