Prospective observational study shows a 5.9% decrease in necrotic area with alendronate in AVN patients, suggesting potential for disease progression delay.
Background: Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a debilitating disease that tends to progress over time, causing collapse of the structure. Alendronate is a bisphosphonate reported to deter bone resorption and potentially slow disease progression [1,2]. Objective: To measure the impact of Alendronate on the zone of necrosis in early AVN of the femoral head over 6 months. Methods: This prospective observational study investigated 30 patients (16 Stage I, 14 Stage II according to Ficat and Arlet classification). Patients were divided into two groups: Alendronate (n=15) and Control (n=15). Baseline and 6-month assessments of necrotic area were done using MRI. Results: The Alendronate group showed a mean necrotic area decrease of 5.9%, while the Control group showed a negligible change (mean decrease: 0.7%). Conclusion: Alendronate can decrease necrotic area in early AVN and may help prevent disease progression [3,4].
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Chand et al. (2025) studied this question.
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