Current vision on mechanism of action of bisphosphonates. The effect of long-term administration of bisphosphonates on bone tissue (preclinical studies)

Abstract

Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the common chronic diseases in the elderly, which requires long–term therapy. Bisphosphonates (BP) belong to the first-line choice medications for the treatment of OP, however, prolonged period of bisphosphonates use has been associated with increased risk of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs), medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and the impact on fracture healing, which attracts increased attention to the current widespread use of them.The article presents the existing classes of BP according to their chemical structure and mechanism of action, differences in their antiresorptive potencies. The data of studies on animal models on the effect of BP on the mechanical properties of bone, fracture repair, as well as the development of MRONJ are presented.