Charts of the FRAX® tool are available for download and may be printed out and photocopied individually in small quantities for use in not-for-profit medical/clinical/educational settings only. Use of the FRAX charts for commercial use without prior consent by the Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases at the University of Sheffield is strictly prohibited and is a breach of copyright. Please send email requests describing the intended use and contact information to Laurence Triouleyre (LTriouleyre@iofbonehealth.org). The FRAX® charts give fracture probabilities according to the number of risk factors that are found in an individual. Charts are available for:
You can select charts that give fracture probabilities according to body mass index or according to the T-score for femoral neck BMD. Note that when both BMI and BMD are available, better characterisation of risk is provided with BMD. For the purpose of these tables secondary causes of osteoporosis should not be used other than a history of rheumatoid arthritis when using the tables with BMD. Any of the secondary causes of osteoporosis can be used with the BMI charts.
The example below gives the ten-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture for women aged 65 years from the UK according to the number of clinical risk factors (CRFs) and the T-score for BMD.
Table. Ten-year probability of osteoporotic fractures (%) according to BMD T-score at the femoral neck in women aged 65 years from the UK.
Thus a woman aged 65 years with a T-score of -2 SD with no clinical risk factors would have a fracture probability of 9.7%. With two clinical risk factors, the probability rises to 20%. Note that a range is given (13-29% in this example). This is not a confidence estimate. The range arises because the different risk factors have different weights. For example, smoking and excess alcohol consumption are relatively weak risk factors, whereas a previous fracture or a family history of hip fracture are strong risk factors. Thus patients with weak risk factors are likely to have a fracture probability closer to the lower end of the range (i.e. 13%).
Where BMD is not available, BMI can be used. An example is given below, again giving the probability of a major osteoporotic fracture for women aged 65 years from the UK according to the number of clinical risk factors.
Table. Ten-year probability of osteoporotic fractures (%) according to body mass index (BMI) in women aged 65 years from the UK.
