Case reports: two femoral insufficiency fractures after long-term alendronate therapy.
Bisphosphonates are widely used for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Although short-term safety and efficacy of these drugs have been investigated and documented, an increasing number of recent reports draw attention to the possible correlation between long-term alendronate therapy and the occurrence of insufficiency fractures in the proximal femur owing to what is known as severely suppressed bone turnover. We describe two femoral insufficiency fractures in two women receiving long-term alendronate therapy. The first woman sustained a periprosthetic fracture at the tip of the femoral stem whereas the other woman had a fracture in the subtrochanteric region. We analyze the characteristics and natural course of these two unique fractures, and emphasize the importance of being aware of the possible correlation between long-term alendronate therapy and insufficiency femoral fractures.
Sayed-Noor
Arkan S
AS
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sundsvall Hospital, 851 86 Sundsvall, Sweden. arkansam@yahoo.com
Sjödén
Göran O
GO
D000368:Aged; D019386:Alendronate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001858:Bone Nails; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011859:Radiography
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate