Osteoporosis medication may help preserve joint replacements
Patients who have osteoporosis can buy Canadian Actonel in order to keep their bones strong, allowing them to stay mobile and independent.
Patients who have osteoporosis can buy Canadian Actonel in order to keep their bones strong, allowing them to stay mobile and independent. Healthy joints are also essential to movement, and some individuals require joint replacements to preserve function. Researchers from the UK have discovered that Actonel and other bisphosphonates may help increase the lifespan of joint replacements.
People who have prosthetic hips or knees may require revision surgery within a decade because of infection or mechanical wear and tear, according to a team of scientists from the University of Oxford. The researchers conducted an experiment to see if bisphosphonates can help avert this need.
The team reviewed the medical data of all patients, older than 40 years, who had knee or hip replacements between 1986 and 2006.
Results showed that five years after the operation, bisphosphonates users who took the drug for at least six months before revision surgery had a lower overall rate of revision than patients who who weren't on the medication before the surgery, or only took the drug after. Those on bisphosphonates also had implants that lasted almost twice as long.
For every 107 patients with joint replacements who are taking bisphosphonates, the team estimates that one revision surgery could be averted, as published in the British Medical Journal. Further research is needed to verify these effects.
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