Hospitalization in High Fracture Risk Older Adults with Osteoporosis Using the Safe Functional Motion Test: A Longitudinal Analysis

The Safe Functional Motion Test (SFM-5) is a five item performance based clinical assessment tool quantifying habitual daily movement that may increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Fractures are a major cause of hospitalization and contributor to increased health care utilization costs. A sample of 1,700 adults, aged 40 and older, from an osteoporosis specialty clinic were evaluated to determine if the initial SFM-5 score had predictive utility for determining inpatient hospitalization at 12, 24, and 36 months post fracture. When adjusted for sex, age, and prior hospitalization, logistic regression analyses indicated that the SFM-5 score significantly predicted inpatient hospitalization within 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months. For every 10 point decrease in the SFM-5 score, the 1 year risk of hospitalization increased by 24%. The SFM-5 is a tool to use when assessing habitual functional movements and hospitalization risk among high-fracture risk adults.