Study Summary

Fourteen studies were included in this meta-analysis comparing teriparatide and bisphosphonates for the improvement in bone mineral density and reduction of fracture incidence in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The outcomes of interest included the pooled incidence of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures, bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and the incidence of adverse events. A statistically significantly lower pooled occurrence of vertebral (p=0.001) and nonvertebral fractures (p=0.009) were observed in favour of the teriparatide group. Moreover, pooled bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femoral neck were statistically significantly in favour of the teriparatide group (p<0.001 for both). No statistical significant differences in the pooled incidence of adverse events were observed between the two groups (p=0.516).