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Successful treatment of sternal fracture nonunion with teriparatide

  • Case Report
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Abstract

Summary

Fractures have a significant impact on the quality of life for the patient in addition to an enormous indirect cost in lost productivity for our economy. While majority of fractures heal uneventfully, some fail to heal even after many months resulting in nonunion.

Introduction

Sternal nonunions, although rare, are particularly onerous for the patient given the magnitude of impact on quality of life.

Methods

Current treatment for fracture nonunions emphasizes various approaches to surgical fixation in addition to bone grafting. These treatments are aggressive and have a variety of drawbacks, rendering them suboptimal as a therapeutic approach.

Conclusion

Based on the success of teriparatide in animal studies to accelerate fracture healing, there is growing interest in using this drug in humans for the same purpose. We report a case of what we believe to be the first successful use of teriparatide in the healing of a sternal nonunion fracture.

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Disclosures

Author—Barry L. Gruber—Speaker’s bureau for Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Pharmaceuticals

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology, Stony Brook University Medical Center, New York, USA

    S. Chintamaneni

  2. Radiology, ProHealth Care Associates, New York, USA

    K. Finzel

  3. NY College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM), New York, USA

    B. L. Gruber

Authors
  1. S. Chintamaneni
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  2. K. Finzel
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  3. B. L. Gruber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Chintamaneni.

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Chintamaneni, S., Finzel, K. & Gruber, B.L. Successful treatment of sternal fracture nonunion with teriparatide. Osteoporos Int 21, 1059–1063 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-1061-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-1061-4

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