Halting bone-building osteoporosis drug use cuts risk for additional atypical femur fracture in half

There is growing evidence that supports an association between atypical fractures of the femur– a rare break of the thigh bone, typically without trauma – and the use of bisphosphonates, drugs proven to enhance bone density and reduce fracture incidence caused by osteoporosis. While the risk for suffering an atypical femur fracture while taking bisphosphonates is still very small – just 1 in 1,000 patients after six years of treatment – research presented today at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that discontinuing bisphosphonate use following an atypical femur fracture can significantly lower the risk for a subsequent atypical fracture. Eurekalert!