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Introduction
Osteoporosis is a common condition, particularly in elderly women.[1] The increased rate of fractures associated with the disease represents an important medical, economic and social problem that leads to reductions in both the quantity and quality of life of those affected.[2]
Drugs such as antiresorptive and anabolic agents have been shown to reduce the fracture risk associated with osteoporosis.[3] Nevertheless, cost-effectiveness studies have indicated that these drugs should not be used indiscriminately, but rather should be concentrated in patients with a high risk of fractures.[4]
In the elderly, the physiological mechanism implicated in the loss of calcium from bone tissue is the intact parathyroid hormone-vitamin D axis. Calcium loss from bones results from a hyperparathyroidism that is secondary to poor intestinal absorption of calcium. In these patients, it has been shown that an increase in bone resorption is a compensatory mechanism for an underlying subclinical hypocalcaemia.[5]
There is a clear relationship between a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk.[6-8] On the other hand, it has been shown that the relationship between gains in BMD obtained when taking active pharmacological treatment (antiresorptive or anabolic agents) and reduction in fracture risk is not linear.[9,10] Calcium can also help to maintain and even increase BMD, although to a lesser degree than some antiresorptive agents.[11,12] Its effectiveness in preventing fractures nevertheless depends on appropriate treatment compliance.[13-16] Other factors affecting bone quality and fracture risk include the status of bone remodelling, preservation of trabecular connectivity, mineralization and cortical thickness.[17] Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is recommended in patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis, particularly in populations in which these elements are lacking.[18]
Use of ossein-hydroxyapatite complex (OHC) is appropriate when there is a need for increased calcium intake or when calcium is lacking, as in osteoporosis prevention and treatment, fracture consolidation, and pregnancy and lactation. OHC is composed of ossein, the protein that forms the organic matrix of vertebrate bone, and hydroxyapatite (Ca 5[PO4]3OH), the principal bone salt of vertebrate bone. In OHC, these two substances are found in the same physiological proportions as in vertebrate bone. More specifically, an 830 mg tablet of OHC (Osteopor®, Ossopan®, Osteogenon®; Pierre Fabre Médicament, Castres, France) contains 178...