SynthesisThe Cochrane database of systematic reviews2008
Etidronate for the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women.
Synthesis in The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
71 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 500 citations in OpenAlex.
- Etidronate for the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Meta-analysis for the efficacy of bisphosphonates on hip fracture prevention.Journal of bone and mineral metabolism · 2020Pooled it
- Effect of medications on prevention of secondary osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, non-vertebral fracture, and discontinuation due to adverse events: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Pooled it
- Exercise for improving outcomes after osteoporotic vertebral fracture.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Effectiveness of anti-osteoporotic drugs to prevent secondary fragility fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2017Pooled it
- Interventions for treating bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- The efficacy of conservative treatment of osteoporotic compression fractures on acute pain relief: a systematic review with meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2015Pooled it
- Comparative gastrointestinal safety of bisphosphonates in primary osteoporosis: a network meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2014Pooled it
- Chinese herbal medicines for treating osteoporosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Exercise for improving outcomes after osteoporotic vertebral fracture.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Efficacy of antiresorptive agents for preventing fractures in Japanese patients with an increased fracture risk: review of the literature.Drugs & aging · 2012Pooled it
- Hormone replacement for osteoporosis in women with primary biliary cirrhosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2011Pooled it
- Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis in primary biliary cirrhosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2011Pooled it
- Exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2011Pooled it
- Design of the SALT Osteoporosis Study: a randomised pragmatic trial, to study a primary care screening and treatment program for the prevention of fractures in women aged 65 years or older.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2017Trial
- Adherence, preference, and satisfaction of postmenopausal women taking denosumab or alendronate.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2011Trial
- Hop rho iso-alpha acids, berberine, vitamin D3 and vitamin K1 favorably impact biomarkers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women in a 14-week trial.Journal of bone and mineral metabolism · 2010Trial
- Appropriate osteoporosis treatment by family physicians in response to FRAX vs CAROC reporting: results from a randomized controlled trial.Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical DensitometryTrial
- Timeliness of antiresorptive consolidation after anabolic therapy for primary fracture prevention: A US cohort study.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Osteoporosis medication use over time in the United States and Canada.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2025Article
11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOsteoporosis is an abnormal reduction in bone mass and bone deterioration leading to increased fracture risk. Etidronate belongs to the bisphosphonate class of drugs which act to inhibit bone resorption by interfering with the activity of osteoclasts.
objectivesTo assess the efficacy of etidronate in the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE and EMBASE for relevant randomized controlled trials published between 1966 to 2007. SELECTION CRITERIA: Women receiving at least one year of etidronate for postmenopausal osteoporosis were compared to those receiving placebo and/or concurrent calcium/vitamin D. The outcome was fracture incidence. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Study selection and data abstraction was done in duplicate. Meta-analysis of fracture outcomes was performed with data presented as relative risks and a relative change greater than 15% was considered clinically important. Study quality was assessed through the reporting of allocation concealment, blinding and withdrawals. MAIN
resultsEleven studies representing a total of 1248 patients were included in the review.A significant 41% relative risk reduction (RRR) in vertebral fractures across eight studies (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.96) was found. The six secondary prevention trials demonstrated a significant RRR of 47% in vertebral fractures (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.87) and a 5% absolute risk reduction (ARR); compared with the pooled result for the two primary prevention trials (RR 3.03, 95% CI 0.32 to 28.44), which was not significant. There were no statistically significant risk reductions for non-vertebral (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.42), hip (RR 1.20, 95% CI 0.37 to 3.88) or wrist fractures (RR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.32 to 2.36). For adverse events, no statistically significant differences were found in the included studies. However, observational data has led to concerns regarding potential risk for upper gastrointestinal injury. AUTHORS'
conclusionsEtidronate, at 400 mg per day, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically important benefit in the secondary prevention of vertebral fractures. No statistically significant reductions in vertebral fractures were observed when it was used for primary prevention. In addition, no statistically significant reductions in non-vertebral, hip, or wrist fractures were found, regardless of whether etidronate was used for primary or secondary prevention. The level of evidence for all outcomes is Silver (www.cochranemsk.org.).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.