Effect of PTH treatment on bone healing in insufficiency fractures of the pelvis: a systematic review

The aging of our society is associated with an increasing number of insufficiency fractures of the pelvis and the current standard of care is pain control and early mobilization. The aim of this study was to explore whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment can support bone healing in these patients. We conducted a systematic review searching the databases PubMed, Embase and Cochrane. Our primary outcome was fracture healing, secondary outcome measures comprised pain, mobility and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Eight articles were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which two were included in a meta-analysis. However, only three studies were comparative including one randomized controlled trial. Fracture healing and reported pain were assessed after eight weeks, and were significantly improved in the group being treated with PTH (p < 0.01) in the meta-analysis. All articles described a positive effect for PTH on fracture healing and pain. Our systematic review indicates that there is a positive effect of PTH treatment on healing and pain in patients with insufficiency fracture in the pelvic ring, but further research is necessary. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:9-14. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200029