title: Injectable bisphosphonates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: Osteoporosis is a "silent" disease and the patient has usually no clue of it until the occurrence of a fragility fracture. Prevention requires a continuous daily treatment that could be uncomfortable to the patient. Besides the recently introduced weekly oral schedules, injectable bisphosphonates have often been used as an off-label option to ameliorate compliance. In general, although with different efficiency, almost all injectable bisphosphonates can improve bone mineral density and suppress bone resorption markers. The effect of intravenous infusions of bisphosphonates are, to a large extent, similar to equivalent intramuscular administrations, but doses and dosing intervals represent the critical issues. Pain at the injection site and acute phase reactions are relatively common to intramuscular clodronate and intravenous infusions of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates, respectively. Under certain circumstances, intermittent treatment with injectable bisphosphonates might represent a feasible alternative when compliance is at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. leonardo.sartori@unipd.it
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adami
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Filipponi
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crepaldi
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077557:Ibandronic Acid; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000077268:Pamidronate; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; D004002:Clodronic Acid; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid; C053389:6-amino-1-hydroxyhexane-1,1-diphosphonate; D000077268:Pamidronate; D000077557:Ibandronic Acid