Enhancement of fracture healing with parathyroid hormone

Since the approval of parathyroid hormone (PTH) as an anabolic treatment for osteoporosis, there has been an increasing interest in other potential clinical uses for this compound in musculoskeletal conditions. Fracture healing is one area of particular interest. It is now widely recognized that daily PTH administration is an effective therapy for increasing bone mineral density and preventing fractures in both male and female osteoporosis patients. More recently, a growing body of evidence supports the conclusion that PTH will also be an effective anabolic therapy for the enhancement of bone repair following fracture. Several animal studies have demonstrated that PTH therapy consisting of daily subcutaneous injections during repair leads to increased callus volumes and a more rapid return of bone strength. Additionally PTH, these reports demonstrated that PTH treatment enhanced repair in older animals, models of osteoporosis, and healthy sexually mature animals. These results underscore the potential of PTH as an anabolic therapy for enhancing the rate of bone repair and regain of mechanical strength in a broad spectrum of fracture patients.