Treatment of osteoporotic patients.

The best approach to treatment of osteoporosis is prevention of bone loss as discussed elsewhere in this volume. However, some currently approved therapeutic agents are helpful in the management of the patient who presents with an osteoporotic fracture. These agents include an adequate calcium intake, estrogen replacement therapy, and administration of calcitonin. A number of experimental therapies are being evaluated, providing hope for improved treatment in the future. These include sodium fluoride, low-dose parathyroid hormone, anabolic steroids, various forms of cyclical therapy, growth hormone, and various bone growth factors.