Abstract

We debated long and hard whether or not to publish the paper by Gregory et al¹ in the Southern Medical Journal. The reviewers, who were blinded as to the authorship and source of the manuscript, stated that, in reality, this paper adds little to the well-established body of literature. Several studies have already documented that osteoporosis is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Why publish another “me too” study? Undertreatment of osteoporosis is indeed so pervasive that the American Orthopaedic Association developed the “Own the Bone” program specifically to address this issue and encourage orthopaedic surgeons to take the lead, to take ownership of the patient's bones, and to initiate treatment or referral of the patient to a center where osteoporosis can be treated. Similar programs are being launched in several institutions.