Published in

Oxford University Press, Journal of the Endocrine Society, 11(3), p. 2082-2087, 2019

DOI: 10.1210/js.2019-00265

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Atypical Tibial Fracture in a 63-Year-Old Woman With Intermittent Use of Bisphosphonate Unmasking Hypophosphatasia

Journal article published in 2019 by Usman H. Malabu ORCID, Jack Lockett ORCID, Emma Lyster ORCID, John Maguire, YongMong Tan
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

Full text: Unavailable

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
White circle
Published version: policy unclear
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Abstract We report an unusual case of atypical proximal tibial stress fracture (APTF) associated with intermittent use of bisphosphonates (BPs) and persistently low serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. We describe the case of a 63-year-old white woman who had experienced an APTF after 4 years of intermittent exposure to alendronate given for recurrent metatarsal stress fractures. BP administration was stopped after the diagnosis of the APTF. A review of her previous serum ALP levels revealed they had been consistently low. Adult hypophosphatasia (HPP) was diagnosed by the low serum ALP activity and elevated urine phosphoethanolamine levels. She was treated conservatively with analgesics. Adult HPP is an underrecognized condition associated with atypical insufficiency fractures, and BP use compounds this risk. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of intermittent BP exposure preceding an APTF in an adult patient with HPP, highlighting the uncommon site of the proximal tibia for BP-associated atypical insufficiency fractures, the need to screen for HPP in those with persistently low ALP levels before they begin BP therapy, and the importance of avoiding BP use in those with HPP.