A 10-year FRAX probability above what percent indicates high risk for a major osteoporotic fracture?

• A. 30%
• B. 20%
• C. 5%
• D. 10%

Answer: (B)

FRAX provides a 10-year probability of sustaining a major osteoporotic fracture, which includes clinically important fractures of the spine, hip, forearm, or shoulder. The tool combines age, sex, body mass index or BMD, and various clinical risk factors to give a percentage risk.

A common benchmark used in many guidelines is that a major osteoporotic fracture probability of about 20% or higher over 10 years is considered high risk. Crossing this threshold suggests treatment consideration to reduce future fracture risk. It’s worth noting that exact thresholds can vary by country and guideline, and hip fracture risk has separate, often lower, thresholds depending on the guideline. So a 10-year major osteoporotic fracture risk above 20% fits the commonly used high-risk criterion.