Hi Mike, welcome and thanks for your question.  I don't have any personal experience with Boniva, but I do with Forteo, and it is currently being used in patients with slow-healing fractures.

Here's an article on this topic that you can read which will explain how this works and the various types of fractures it's used for.  If you are interested in this speak with the Dr. treating the patient to see if this is an option for treatment given the type of insurance this woman may have.  You'll notice that the initial testing of Forteo in the above link was on pelvic fractures, but it can be used on any type of fracture, and doesn't have to be within the confines of that clinical trial.

Boniva is also an option, but Forteo is specifically being used for fracture healing.  Forteo is the only osteoporosis med that stimulates new bone growth so this may be what she would want to try if the fracture is problematic or healing slowly.

People without fractures use Forteo as well to prevent future fracturing, and to increase bone mass, so check with the Dr. to see which of the two meds seem promising in this case.

I've had many spinal fractures, and took Forteo with great success--no side effects--and increased my t-scores greatly.

Good luck and if you have any other questions just re-post.

Mike

7/ 9/09 11:12am

Thank you very much for your response.  We have talked to the doctor who is treating the patient (my mother).  He is an orthopedic surgeon, through a referral from the primary care doctor.  He refuses to consider Forteo until her bones are "healed", even after we showed him and dicsussed the information you supplied.  He feels it is too risky, since it has not been tested enough for this purpose, and it is not clear whta it might to to her overall metabolism.  We are not happy...meanwhile my mother is degenerating quickly day by day.  Do you know of any other doctors, preferably in our area (Philadelphia PA), whom we might be able to consult, or can you suggest a way that we can find a doctor who is more opne-minded, progressive, and concerned about his patients?  Thank you very much for your time and interest.  

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/ 9/09 3:25pm

Hi mike, I'm so sorry that your mom is going through all this.  Do you have a University Medical center near you?  If you can find a specialist for osteoporosis at an institution like that, you should have better luck.  Also look for an osteoporosis center within the hospital.  I'm not familiar with your area, but there must be a good Univ Med Center near by, and hopefully one with an osteoporosis center and orthopedic clinic.

 

Does your mom have any metabolism problems like low or high calcium?  When patients have high calcium (hypercalcemia) Dr.'s will be reluctant to use Forteo.

 

Here's another article on Forteo, from the Cleveland Clinic, that may be of some help to explain who can and can't take this medication.

 

I hope you can find a Dr. near by that can help her out and if you have any other questions just post again.