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News • Call for systematic bone health optimization
Implant failure and osteoporosis: “two sides of the same coin”
International expert group reframes arthroplasty and spinal fusion complications as a shared problem of implant fixation failure, and issues clinical recommendations for peri-operative bone health care.
A new position statement from the International Osteoporosis Foundation's (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors Fracture Working Group urges orthopaedic surgeons and bone health specialists to work together to assess and treat osteoporosis before and after joint replacement and spinal fusion surgery.
A hip replacement, or a spinal fusion, is only as durable as the bone that supports it. We need to think about bone quality as a determinant of surgical durability, not just fracture risk
Manju Chandran
Bringing together expertise across multiple disciplines, the position paper presents a framework linking poor bone quality to complications across both types of procedures and provides evidence-informed recommendations to improve outcomes for the millions of patients undergoing these surgeries worldwide. It introduces the concept of implant fixation failure as a common endpoint, describing the progressive mechanical failure of bone–implant constructs resulting from compromised bone quality specifically that due to osteoporosis.
Each year, millions of hip replacements and spinal fusions are performed globally, with numbers continuing to rise as populations age. While these procedures are highly effective, a growing proportion of complications, including periprosthetic fractures, implant loosening, cage subsidence, pseudoarthrosis (non-union), and junctional failure, arise from the interaction between osteoporotic bone and orthopaedic implants.
Image source: Chandran M, Anastasilakis AD, Blank RD et al., Osteoporosis International 2026 (CC BY-NC 4.0)
These figures were created by the authors using a generative AI-assisted image tool. The figures presented are purely schematic, conceptual renderings designed to visually convey the underlying biomechanical concepts discussed in the text. They are not intended to represent precise and correct anatomical detail, operative technique, or actual clinical imaging
Lead author and co-chair of the IOF Fracture Working Group, Professor Manju Chandran, Singapore General Hospital, and Clinical Professor, DUKE NUS Medical School, Singapore stated: “We urge the orthopaedic and bone health communities to see implant failure and osteoporosis as two sides of the same coin. A hip replacement, or a spinal fusion, is only as durable as the bone that supports it. We need to think about bone quality as a determinant of surgical durability, not just fracture risk. Identifying and treating osteoporosis before and after these operations is a practical, low-cost way to protect patients from painful, dangerous, and expensive complications.”
Key findings
The position statement synthesizes evidence from randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, registry analyses, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. Among the key findings:
- Osteoporosis is highly prevalent and underdiagnosed in surgical candidates. Between 60–80% of patients presenting for knee replacement have osteopenia or osteoporosis, and nearly three-quarters of osteoporotic patients undergoing hip replacement are undiagnosed pre-operatively.
- Low bone mineral density (BMD) is often associated with implant fixation failure across both arthroplasty and spinal fusion, including higher rates of periprosthetic fracture, screw loosening, cage subsidence, and pseudoarthrosis.
- Periprosthetic fractures carry severe consequences. One-year mortality rates for periprosthetic femoral fractures after hip arthroplasty range from 11–18%, comparable to mortality after native hip fractures, and reach 18.6% for periprosthetic distal femur fractures.
- Osteoporosis therapies can improve surgical outcomes. In arthroplasty, bisphosphonates preserve peri-implant bone stock and may improve implant survival. In spinal fusion, anabolic therapies influence fixation-related parameters.
- Falls are the dominant trigger for post-surgical fractures. Most periprosthetic fractures follow low-energy falls from standing or sitting height, underscoring the importance of fall-prevention strategies in peri-operative care.
Among the expert recommendations for peri-operative bone health optimization are the following:
- Who should be assessed: Patients undergoing arthroplasty or instrumented spinal fusion who are aged ≥65 years, have a prior fragility fracture, have clinical risk factors for osteoporosis/secondary bone loss, or are undergoing high mechanical demand procedures such as revision arthroplasty, long-segment spinal fusion, or surgery after prior fixation/implant failure. (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Moderate certainty of evidence)
- Surgery should not be delayed in acute fracture or spinal fusion operative settings (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Moderate certainty of evidence), but bone health assessment should be initiated as early as possible in the peri-operative period. (Strength of recommendation: Conditional | Moderate certainty of evidence)
- Vitamin D and calcium status should be corrected peri-operatively with target serum 25(OH)D at least 50 nmol/L (20 ng/ml) in patients with deficiency, and with total calcium intake of 1,000–1,200 mg/day, preferably through dietary sources. Calcium supplementation should be considered only where dietary intake is inadequate. (Strength of Recommendation: Conditional | Certainty of Evidence: Low)
- Fall-risk assessment and prevention should be integrated into peri-operative care pathways. (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Moderate certainty of evidence)
- Pharmacotherapy in arthroplasty: Bisphosphonates are recommended postoperatively in patients with osteoporosis or high-risk bone phenotype. Denosumab is an alternative when bisphosphonates are contraindicated. (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Moderate certainty of evidence)
- Pharmacotherapy in spinal fusion: Teriparatide is recommended in osteoporotic patients, ideally initiated at least one month pre-operatively and continued for 6–12 months postoperatively. (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Moderate certainty of evidence)
- Sequential therapy: Transition to antiresorptive therapy after completion of an anabolic course to maintain skeletal gains. (Strength of Recommendation: Conditional | Certainty of Evidence: Low)
- Multidisciplinary coordination between orthopaedic surgeons and bone health specialists is essential. (Strength of Recommendation: Strong | Certainty of Evidence: Moderate)
The authors emphasize that bone health optimization should not be treated as an adjunct to surgical care, but as an integral component of peri-operative planning.
Professor Eugene McCloskey, Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Sheffield, UK and chair of the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors, added: “This is a very important and timely position statement which calls for a fundamental shift in how orthopaedic and metabolic bone specialists collaborate. I highly commend the Fracture Working Group for highlighting this important clinical gap and providing a roadmap for more integrated care. Every patient undergoing arthroplasty or spinal fusion who has or is at risk of poor bone quality deserves a structured assessment and, where indicated, targeted therapy. This would help improve surgical outcomes and reduce complications for patients worldwide.”
Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation
21.07.2026
