Method of increasing bone toughness and stiffness and reducing fractures

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for increasing the toughness and/or stiffness of bone and/or reducing the likelihood and/or severity of bone fracture by administering a parathyroid hormone. The method can be employed to increase toughness or stiffness of bone at a site of a potential or actual trauma, such as the hip or spine of a person at risk of or suffering from osteoporosis. The method of the invention can reduce the incidence of vertebral fracture, reduce the incidence of multiple vertebral fractures, reduce the severity of vertebral fracture, and/or reduce the incidence of non-vertebral fracture.

1 - 59 . (canceled)  
   
   
       60 . A method for the treatment of bone fracture in a human subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject human parathyroid hormone (1-34), without concurrent administration of an antiresorptive agent other than vitamin D or calcium, in a daily dose of 20 ug, wherein said vitamin D is not a hydroxylated vitamin D or hydroxylated vitamin D metabolite.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein said treatment further comprises increasing toughness or stiffness at a site of fracture.  
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the fracture comprises a vertebral fracture, a non-vertebral fracture, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said non-vertebral fracture occurs at a site selected from the group consisting of hip, forearm, humerus, wrist, radius, ankle, rib. or foot.  
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the fracture occurs in bone that comprises predominantly cortical bone.  
   
   
       65 . A method for preventing prosthetic drift in a human subject having an implanted bone prosthesis, comprising administering to said subject human parathyroid hormone (1-34), without concurrent administration of an antiresorptive agent other than vitamin D or calcium, in a daily dose of 20 ug, wherein said vitamin D is not a hydroxylated vitamin D or hydroxylated vitamin D metabolite.  
   
   
       66 . The method of  claim 65  wherein said subject has osteoporosis or other bone degenerative disease.  
   
   
       67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein said subject has advanced stage osteoporosis.  
   
   
       68 . The method of  claim 65  wherein said subject has spinal osteoporosis.  
   
   
       69 . The method of  claim 66  wherein said subject has at least one prior moderate vertebral fracture.  
   
   
       70 . The method of  claim 65  wherein said method increases toughness and stiffness of bone at a site of bone prosthesis implantation.  
   
   
       71 . A method for reducing back pain in an osteoporosis patient comprising administering to said patient human parathyroid hormone (1-34), in a daily dose of 20 ug, without concurrent administration of an antiresorptive agent other than vitamin D or calcium, wherein said vitamin D is not a hydroxylated vitamin D or hydroxylated vitamin D metabolite and wherein said patient is a man or postmenopausal woman.  
   
   
       72 . The method of  claim 71  wherein said patient is a postmenopausal woman.  
   
   
       73 . The method of  claim 71  wherein said patient has advanced stage osteoporosis.  
   
   
       74 . The method of  claim 71  wherein said patient has spinal osteoporosis.  
   
   
       75 . The method of  claim 72  wherein said woman has at least one prior moderate vertebral fracture.