What does the FRAX score evaluate?

• A. Current fracture history
• B. Future fracture risk
• C. Bone mineral density at multiple sites
• D. Fracture healing rate

Answer: (B)

FRAX is a tool that estimates the chance a person will experience a fracture in the future, typically over the next ten years. It combines clinical factors (like age, sex, prior fracture, smoking, glucocorticoid use, rheumatoid arthritis, and alcohol intake, among others) and can incorporate femoral neck bone density to refine the estimate. The result is a probability of sustaining a hip fracture or a major osteoporotic fracture in the coming decade. It does not measure current fracture history directly as a count, nor does it assess fracture healing rate, and while it can use BMD data, it’s about predicting future risk, not measuring bone density at multiple sites.