title: Combined treatment of alendronate and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) increases bone mineral density at the cancellous bone osteotomy site in aged rats: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During fracture healing, alendronate encourages callus volume by inhibiting bone resorption, whereas low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) enhances bone regeneration by promoting an anabolic response.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, 9-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats, with a unilateral proximal tibial osteotomy, were treated with alendronate (daily, 1 µg/kg) plus sham-LIPUS (n = 14), saline plus LIPUS (20 min/day) (n = 18), alendronate plus LIPUS (n = 16), or saline plus sham-LIPUS as a control (n = 13) for 4 weeks. The rats were then examined for changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during metaphyseal bone repair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combined therapy significantly increased BMD at the osteotomy site at 4 weeks (p < 0.001) compared with the control, without affecting the contralateral, non-osteotomized tibia. Both alendronate and LIPUS alone also exerted a positive, albeit less, effect on BMD in the affected limb (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alendronate and LIPUS cooperate to enhance BMD during metaphyseal bone healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aonuma
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyakoshi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasukawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuchie
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Segawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D002146:Bony Callus; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D010027:Osteotomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D019386:Alendronate