Clearly more research is required from well-designed prospective observational studies, meta-analyses and nested case–control studies. Thus, the available evidence does not suggest that the well-known benefits of bisphosphonate treatment are outweighed by the risk of these rare, atypical, low-trauma subtrochanteric fractures. Nevertheless, this website it is recommended that physicians remain vigilant in assessing their patients treated with bisphosphonates for osteoporosis or associated conditions. They should continue

to follow the recommendations on the drug label when prescribing bisphosphonates and advise patients of the potential risks. Patients with pain in the hips, thighs or femur should be radiologically assessed and, where a stress fracture is evident, the physician should decide whether bisphosphonate therapy should be discontinued pending a full evaluation, based on an individual benefit–risk assessment. The radiographic changes should be evaluated for orthopaedic intervention—since surgery prior to fracture completion might be

advantageous—or be closely monitored. Acknowledgements The Working Group meeting was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis. Editorial selleck assistance for the manuscript was provided by Sola Neunie of BioScience Communications, supported by a financial grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Conflicts of interest Rene Rizzoli has attended paid advisory boards and received consultancy and lecturing fees from Servier, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Roche, Nycomed, Merck Sharp and Dohme and Danone. Kristina Åkesson has received lecturing fees from Medtronics, Novartis, Amgen, Merck and Nycomed. Mary Bouxsein has undertaken consultancy and lecturing commitments for Amgen and Merck & Co. John A. Kanis

consults or has received research support from enough a large number of pharmaceutical companies involved in marketing products for treatment of osteoporosis. He is president of the International Osteoporosis Foundation and serves on its Committee of Scientific Advisors. Nicola Napoli has received grant support from Merck LY2228820 solubility dmso Sharpe and Dohme. Socrates Papapoulos has received consultancy and lecturing fees from Alliance for Better Bone Health, Amgen, Eli Lilly, GSK, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. Jean-Yves Reginster has received consulting fees and attended paid advisory boards for Servier, Novartis, Negma, Lilly, Wyeth, Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Merckle, Nycomed, NPS, Theramex and UCB. He has received invited lecture fees from Merck Sharp and Dohme, Lilly, Rottapharm, IBSA, Genevrier, Novartis, Servier, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Teijin, Teva, Ebewee Pharma, Zodiac, Analis, Theramex, Nycomed and Novo Nordisk. He has received grant support from Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Rottapharm, Teva, Lilly, Novartis, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen and Servier.