Bone Health and Fractures Research Program

The Bone Health and Fractures Research Program has a strong focus on improving fracture prediction and identifying novel prevention and treatment strategies for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by reduced bone mineral density and deteriorated bone microstructure, resulting in decreased bone strength. This loss of bone strength increases the risk of future fractures, leading to disability, morbidity and mortality. In 2000, there were an estimated nine million osteoporotic fractures globally. In Australia, the estimated cost of osteoporosis in 2017 was AUD 3.44 billion, with the treatment of fractures accounting for 68% of this cost.

The Bone Health and Fractures Research Program at the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research conducts clinical cohort studies with the aim to improve fracture prediction and prevention by identifying novel clinical risk factors for fractures and more sophisticated bone measurements to assess bone microstructure and strength. Another strong focus of the research program is to identify novel therapies to treat and prevent osteoporosis by performing randomised controlled trials.

The Bone Health and Fractures Research Program is comprised of an international multidisciplinary team of researchers specialising in epidemiology, bone densitometry, geriatric medicine, exercise physiology and endocrinology, who collaborate with leading national and international experts in osteoporosis, fracture aetiology and epidemiology.

• Current research