REDUCED OCCURRENCE OF VERTEBRAL CRUSH FRACTURES IN SENILE OSTEOPOROSIS TREATED WITH 1-ALPHA-(OH)-VITAMIN-D3

  • 1 October 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 3  (1) , 47-52
Abstract
To examine whether the administration of 1.alpha.(OH)-vitamin D3 (1.alpha.(OH)D3) could prevent the occurrence of vertebral crash fractures in senile osteoporosis, crush fractures of the thoracic or lumbar spine in senile osteoporosis treated with 1.alpha.(OH)D3, 1.0 .mu.g/day (22 cases), 1.alpha.(OH)D2 1.0 .mu.g/day + Ca 1.0 g/day (16 cases) or Ca 1.0 g/day (23 cases) were compared with those in non-treated controls (25 cases). The average treatment periods were 1.7 .+-. 0.7 years in the 1.alpha.(OH)D3 groups, 2.1 .+-. 1.0 years in the 1.alpha.(OH)D3 + Ca group and 1.7 .+-. 0.9 years in the Ca group. Occurrence of spinal crash fractures per 1000 patient years was significantly less in the 1.alpha.(OH)D3 + Ca group (P < 0.01) than in the non-treated control group. These findings suggest that administration of 1.alpha.(OH)D3 is effective in preventing the occurrence of pathological fractures in senile osteoporosis.