Launching dozens more fracture liaison services in hospitals would prevent fewer than 1% of an estimated 2.4 million fractures over a decade, a modelling study shows.

The Federal Government’s National Strategic Action Plan for Osteoporosis has suggested expanding the number of fracture liaison services (FLSs) to 100, so more patients hospitalised with a fracture are immediately referred for preventive treatment.

But analysis published in the Medical Journal of Australia suggests the additional services — on top of the 29 that were open as of 2018 — will be of little benefit.

The modelling, with input from federal Department of Health and Aged Care officials, aimed to account for population changes, the effect of treatment on preventing secondary fracture and treatment adherence, among other factors.