Clinical Medicine Insights: Endocrinology and Diabetes

Bone fractures are one of the leading causes of emergency room visits worldwide, with approximately 8 million bony fractures occurring annually in the US alone. Although the majority of fractures do not cause significant long-term morbidity and mortality, approximately 10% of these fractures result in impaired fracture healing, drastically affecting quality of life in affected patients. By increasing bone formation, teriparatide, an anabolic agent used in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, has shown promise in accelerating the rate of fracture healing. We present two patients with impaired healing of metatarsal fractures who were subsequently treated with teriparatide. Both patients experienced successful bony union of the fracture after the use of teriparatide. These findings suggest that teriparatide may be useful in the clinical setting for the acceleration of fracture healing, especially in patients who are at risk for impaired fracture healing.