Pth and Alendronate Improve Osteotomy Healing in an Osteoporotic Rat Model

Introduction Osteoporosis is a major health problem in older populations, and is directly related to the increased rate of fractures in the elderly. Additionally, both aging and osteoporosis are know to be frequently associated with decreased quality of fracture repair. A number of drugs have been developed for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. The most commonly prescribed class of drugs for this purpose are the bisphosphonates, which act by inhibiting osteoclast activity and subsequent bone resorption. Numerous clinical studies have shown that treatment with bisphosphonates results in increased bone mass and decreased fracture risk when compared with untreated control populations. Previous animal studies with bisphosphonates have shown increased callus size and bone mineral content when compared to controls; however callus remodeling and fracture line appearance are inhibited, and in vivo and post-mortem mechanical studies have not shown an increase in torsional stiffness related to callus size. While bisphosphonates appear to be relatively safe with respect to metaphyseal fracture healing, there is minimal clinical data on the effect of bisphosphonates treatment on diaphyseal fracture healing in the osteoporotic population.