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A case of atypical femur fracture during long-term treatment with bisphosphonates in patient with postmenopausal osteoporosis

https://doi.org/10.14341/osteo10286

Abstract

Bisphosphonates is a first-line therapy for treatment of osteoporosis. In the last decade, the number of atypical femur fracture (AFF) cases during long-term treatment with bisphosphonates has increased. The aim of this article was to analyze the literature data on this problem, to define the diagnostic criteria of AFF and to present the case of AFF in the patient who received treatment with alendronate for 3.5 years.


A 78-year-old woman, receiving oral bisphosphonate for severe postmenopausal osteoporosis for 3.5 years, suddenly started feeling pain in her right thigh while walking. Three months later, she had got a fracture in middle third of the right femur after falling from her standing height. According to instrumental diagnostics, this fracture had all criteria of AFF. Blocking intramedullary osteosynthesis with shafts was performed. A retrospective analysis of soft tissue magnetic resonance imaging in the area of right thigh, done before the fracture, showed the presence of undiagnosed incomplete right femur fracture in the middle third, which subsequently led to a complete fracture.


Presented clinical case demonstrates the complexity of AFF diagnostics. The purpose of the publication is to draw attention of medical specialists to the issue of this rare side effect of bisphosphonate treatment.

About the Authors

Kira E. Zotkina
Almazov National Medical Research Centre; Clinical Rheumatology Hospital N 25
Russian Federation


Olga M. Lesnyak
North-western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov; Clinical Rheumatology Hospital N 25
Russian Federation

MD, PhD, Professor



Aleksandr Yu. Kochish
Vreden Russian Order of Red Banner of Labor Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics
Russian Federation

MD, PhD, Professor



Ivan V. Sushkov
Vreden Russian Order of Red Banner of Labor Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics
Russian Federation


References

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Supplementary files

1. Fig. 1. Illustrative sections of an MRI scan of the right thigh of patient K. dated November 9, 2017
Subject
Type Other
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2. Fig. 2. Radiograph of the right lower limb of patient K. on the day of transverse diaphyseal atypical fracture of the right femur, type 42A1 according to the classification of the Osteosynthesis Association, dated 04.12.2017.
Subject
Type Other
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Indexing metadata ▾
3. Fig. 3. Radiograph of the right thigh of patient K. 8 weeks after the intramedullary osteosynthesis of the femur with a pin with a blocker, dated January 26, 2018.
Subject
Type Other
View (570KB)    
Indexing metadata ▾

Review

For citations:


Zotkina K.E., Lesnyak O.M., Kochish A.Yu., Sushkov I.V. A case of atypical femur fracture during long-term treatment with bisphosphonates in patient with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and Bone Diseases. 2019;22(1):18-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14341/osteo10286

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ISSN 2072-2680 (Print)
ISSN 2311-0716 (Online)