| Abstract Scope |
Bisphosphonates, a group of antiresorptive drugs FDA approved for adults with osteoporosis, is also the gold standard treatment for children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI, or brittle bone disease), but with controversial results. While bisphosphonates have been proven to increase bone mineral density and mobility in children with OI, their effect on the fracture rate is divisive. Furthermore, the long-term efficacy in rescuing OI bone fragility and safety use to treat OI children remain unclear. Here, we examined whether long-term treatment with alendronate, a type of bisphosphonates widely used for OI, improves young OI bone resistance to fracture. We investigated bone fracture toughness, toughening mechanisms, structure, composition and mechanics at multiple length scales. We found that alendronate does not improve the overall OI bone fracture toughness, but diversely generates bone fragility in OI. |