A new study published in Osteoporosis International evaluated the feasibility, safety and in vivo response to treating proximal femurs of postmenopausal osteoporotic women with a minimally-invasive local osteo-enhancement procedure (LOEP)—through injecting a resorbable triphasic osteoconductive implant material (AGN1).

This was aprospective cohort study that recruited 12 postmenopausal osteoporotic (femoral neck T-score ≤ - 2.5) women aged 56-89 years. AGN1 LOEP was performed on left femurs and right femurs were considered untreated controls. Subjects were followed-up for 5-7 years.

The findings showed that:

• The baseline treated and control femoral neck areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were equivalent. Treated femoral neck aBMD increased compared to controls, at 12 and 24 weeks and 5-7 years.
• The finite element analysis (FEA)-estimated that the femoral strength increased by 41%, 37% and 22% at 12 and 24 weeks and 5-7 years, respectively.
• X-ray and CT scans exhibited complete AGN1 resorption and replacement with bone by 24 weeks.
• By 5-7 years, AGN1 appeared to be fully resorbed and was replaced with bone. While no procedure- or device-related serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred.

From the results, it was concluded that treating femurs of postmenopausal osteoporotic women with AGN1 LOEP confers a rapid, durable increase in aBMD and femoral strength.

Source: Howe J, Hill R, Stroncek J et al. Treatment of bone loss in proximal femurs of postmenopausal osteoporotic women with AGN1 local osteo-enhancement procedure (LOEP) increases hip bone mineral density and hip strength: a long-term prospective cohort study. Osteoporosis International. 2019. doi:10.1007/s00198-019-05230-0