[Local application of statin for bone augmentation]

It has been reported that statin, an inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis, enhances bone formation by stimulating osteoblastic differentiation and function and that it also inhibits bone resorption by osteoclasts. Although the potentiality of statin as a therapeutic drug for osteoporosis has been expected, the clinical evidences supporting this potentiality are few. On the other hand, there are several reports demonstrating that local application of statin promotes bone augmentation and bone regeneration. The history of statin as a therapeutic drug for hypercholesterolemia is long and the toxicity of this drug has been well examined. Thus, it is unlikely that local application of this drug at low dose will induce serious side effects. It is possible that local bone augmentation with statin will appear clinically in the near future if proper local drug delivery system for statin is developed.