Non-traumatic fracture of the femoral shaft in a patient taking long-term bisphosphonate therapy

Excerpt

Bisphosphonates are one of the most potent drugs in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and have demonstrated improvement in bone mineral density (BMD) and reduction in the incidence of osteoporotic fracture [1]. These drugs have also been used for the treatment of Paget’s disease and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. FDA-approved bisphosphonates used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis include alendronate, risedronate and ibandronate [2]. Although long-term use of bisphosphonates confirms their safety, the questions regarding the potential adverse effect due to excessive inhibition of bone remodeling still remain [1, 3]. Here, we report a rare case of atypical fracture of femoral shaft in a patient taking long-term bisphosphonate therapy. …