The use of bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis

Three therapeutic protocols using 3 different bisphosphonate molecules have been evaluated in three groups of women in physiological menopause, whose bone mineral density (BMD) at the ultradistal (UD) or mediodistal (MD) radius showed risk of fracture. Treatment with alendronate (5 mg/day, for 12 months) increases BMD (38 patients, mean age 63 +/- 6 years) by about 5%; treatment with ethidronate (400 mg/day form days, then 1.250 mg/day calcium carbonate for 76 days), repeated 4-times (31 patients, mean age 66 +/- 6 years) did not cause any significant rise in BMD of either UD or MD radius; treatment with clodronate (10 mg/day i.m. for 20 days, a 10-day-interval, followed by 400 mg/day for 60 days) resulted in an insignificant increase (about 4%) in the BMDUD value (8 patients, mean age 62 +/- 5 years). No vertebral fractures nor deformations were observed in any of the 3 groups during treatments. All groups showed an optimal tolerance to the drugs.