Fluoride therapy for the vertebral crush fracture syndrome. A status report

Fluoride has been proposed as a therapy for the vertebral crush fracture syndrome for many years; such proposals have been based largely on the well-characterized syndrome of fluoride intoxication (fluorosis), which is marked by increased skeletal mass and sometimes exuberant bony overgrowths. For various reasons, including the inability to develop a patentable product, the clinical studies necessary to follow this lead and establish efficacy and safety have proceeded slowly. This report represents points of concurrent regarding the efficacy and safety of fluoride therapy and considerations relevant to patient management that were developed among conferees at the International Workshop on Fluoride and Bone.