Abstract
During intermittent cyclical etidronate treatment, a lower extremity pain syndrome associated with stress fractures was observed in three osteoporotic patients. This report describes the development of stress fractures during initial cycles of treatment, with recurrence of symptoms in two patients when etidronate therapy was resumed. Further studies are needed to confirm whether stress fractures are associated with cyclic etidronate treatment and if so, the incidence and pathophysiology need to be determined.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schnitzler CM, Solomon L (1985) Trabecular stress fractures during fluoride therapy for osteoporosis. Skeletal Radiol 14:276–279
Schulz EE, Libanati CR, Farley SM, Kirk GA, Baylink DJ (1984) Skeletal scintigraphic changes in osteoporosis treated with sodium fluoride. J Nucl Med 25:651–655
O'Duffy JD, Wahner HW O'Fallon WM et al (1986) Mechanism of acute lower extremity pain syndrome, in fluoride-treated osteoporotic patients. Am J Med 8:561–566
Storm T, Thamsborg G, Steiniche T, Genant HK, Sorensen OH (1990) Effect of intermittent cyclical etidronate therapy on bone mass and fracture rate in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 322:1265–1271
Watts NB, harris ST, Genant HK, et al (1990) Intermittent cyclical etidronate treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 323:73–79
Riggs BL, Hodgson SF, O'Fallon WM, Chao EYS, Wahner HW, Muhs JM et al (1990) Effect of fluoride treatment on the fracture rate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 322:802–809
Gibbs CJ, Aaron JE, Peacock M (1986) Osteomalacia in Paget's disease treated with short-term, high-dose sodium etidronate. Br Med J 292:1227–1229
Storm T, Steiniche T, Thamsborg G, Melsen F (1993) Changes in bone histomorphometry after long-term treatment with intermittent, cyclic etidronate for postmenopausal osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 8:199–208
Rusell RGG (1984) Paget's disease. In: Nordin BEC (ed) Metabolic bone and stone disease, 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburch
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guañabens, N., Peris, P., Monegal, A. et al. Lower extremity stress fractures during intermittent cyclical etidronate treatment for osteoporosis. Calcif Tissue Int 54, 431–434 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305532
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305532