Strontium does not affect the intrinsic bone quality at tissue and BSU levels in iliac samples from Macaca fascicularis monkeys.

Our purpose was to evaluate the impact of strontium ranelate (SrRan) on bone mineral quality at both tissue and bone structural unit (BSU) levels. Thirty iliac bone samples (dehydrated then embedded) were taken from monkeys who received 0 (controls), 200, 500 or 1250 mg/kg/day of SrRan for 52 weeks and were sacrificed either at the end of administration (treated animals, n=16) or 10 weeks later (reverse animals, n=14). Degree of mineralization (DMB), heterogeneity index of mineralization (HI), Vickers microhardness (Hv) and focal bone strontium content (BSC) were measured globally at tissue level and focally on the same 923 BSUs.

Strontium ranelate--a promising therapeutic principle in osteoporosis.

Strontium ranelate (2g/day) appears to be a safe and efficient treatment of osteoporosis (OP), reducing the risks of both vertebral and non-vertebral fractures (including hip) in a wide variety of patients. Thus, the agent can now be considered as a first-line option to treat women at risk of OP fractures, whatever their age and the severity of the disease. A long-term treatment with strontium ranelate in OP women leads to a continued increase in bone mineral density at spine and hip levels, and a sustained antifracture efficacy.

Distribution of strontium and mineralization in iliac bone biopsies from osteoporotic women treated long-term with strontium ranelate.

Objective: To investigate interactions between strontium (Sr) and bone mineral and its effects on mineralization in osteoporotic women treated long-term with Sr ranelate (SrRan).

Design: In this study, 34 iliac bone biopsies were analyzed after 2, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months of treatment with SrRan.

Methods: Sr global distribution was analyzed by X-ray cartography and the percentage of bone area containing Sr was calculated in the bone samples.