Prevention of distortion of vascular deprivation-induced osteonecrosis of the rat femoral head by treatment with alendronate.
BACKGROUND
In animals with a disrupted blood supply and drainage of the femoral head, the dead epiphyseal bone undergoes osteoclastic osteolysis and is replaced by newly synthesized, immature, and weak bone, which cannot withstand the daily loads and, therefore, the articular surface caves in.


METHODS
Female Sprague-Dawley rats with interrupted blood circulation of the femoral head were treated with alendronate and compared to controls.


RESULTS
There was no distortion of the femoral heads in the alendronate-treated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
Alendronate medication interferes with osteoclastic activities, slowing down bone turnover. These observations verify our hypothesis that osteoclastic activity is detrimental to the conservation of a hemispherical femoral head because of the rapidly occurring replacement of the dead by living tissues. Hence, halting the activities of the osteoclasts by alendronate stops the hasty new bone formation which is responsible for early femoral capital disfigurement.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery B, Rambam Health Care Campus, P O Box 9602, 31096 Haifa, Israel. e_peled@rambam.health.gov.il
Eli
E
Peled
Jacob
J
Bejar
Chaim
C
Zinman
Jochanan H
JH
Boss
Daniel N
DN
Reis
Doron
D
Norman
D019386:Alendronate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000187:drug effects*; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate