Loading modality and age influence teriparatide-induced bone formation in the human femoral neck.

Teriparatide (TPTD) reduces risk of both vertebral and nonvertebral fracture, but increases bone mineral density (BMD) much more at the spine than the hip. TPTD and mechanical loading may have a synergistic anabolic effect on BMD, which may help explain these site-specific differences. Under normal daily activity, the femoral neck (FN) is under bending, placing one side under tension and the other under compression. We sought to further understand the relationship between mechanical loading and TPTD at the hip by investigating the effect of tensile versus compressive loading on TPTD stimulated bone formation indices in the human FN. Thirty-eight patients receiving total hip replacements for osteoarthritis were randomized to receive placebo (PBO) or TPTD for a mean treatment duration of 6 weeks prior to surgery, and double tetracycline labeling was administered to allow assessment of bone formation. The FN was harvested during surgery and analyzed for dynamic bone formation indices in the compressive and tensile regions of the endocortical and periosteal envelopes. Regression models relating outcome measures to patient characteristics including sex, age, body weight, and FN geometry were also analyzed. Overall, bone formation was higher with TPTD versus placebo on the endocortical surface, but not the periosteal surface. The level of bone formation in both TPTD and placebo groups was greater on the tensile endocortical surface and the compressive periosteal surface. There was a trend toward decreased endocortical eroded surface with TPTD in the compressive but not the tensile region. Patient age and sex explained the greatest variability in endocortical bone formation, and patient body mass and sex explained the greatest variability in periosteal bone formation. Our data represent the first dynamic comparison of teriparatide treatment under two loading modalities in human FN samples. Future work could determine whether specific hip loading intervention could amplify the benefits of teriparatide on the hip in clinical settings.