title: Bilateral femur fractures associated with short-term bisphosphonate use.
abstract: Bisphosphonates are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat osteoporosis because they have been proposed to prevent bone loss. Nevertheless, in up to 0.1% of patients, long-term use may cause atypical stress or insufficiency femoral fractures. Bilateral femoral shaft fractures have been reported after long-term use of bisphosphonates; however, there is limited evidence of the effect of short-term use. The current study reports a case of bilateral femoral fractures after a low-energy fall in a 56-year-old woman and provides a review of the literature on bilateral femoral shaft fractures after long-term use of bisphosphonates. Patients should be educated about the potential for stress fractures with the use of this treatment. In patients with thigh pain, a thorough history and physical examination, including the contralateral thigh, may be beneficial to detect bilateral traumatic or atypical stress fracture patterns. More studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to better identify patients who may be at risk for fracture, including histomorphometric evidence of low bone turnover in patients with unfortunate bilateral cases.
authors: Aiman
authors: A
authors: Rifai
authors: Sina
authors: S
authors: Pourtaheri
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Carbone
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Callaghan
authors: Chris M
authors: CM
authors: Stadler
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Record
authors: Kimona
authors: K
authors: Issa
mesh_terms: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates