Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2025.66.334
Adherence to denosumab therapy and fracture risk associated with drug withdrawal: a retrospective study
Hande Özdemir
; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
*
Nur Kakilli
; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
Filiz Tuna
; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
Buket Yılmaz Bülbül
; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
Mehmet Çelik
; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
Selçuk Korkmaz
; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
Derya Demirbağ Kabayel
; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Aim To assess the prevalence of fragility fractures after de
nosumab discontinuation and to identify the factors af
fecting treatment adherence.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical re
cords of 3876 osteoporosis patients who were treated
with denosumab at Trakya University Osteoporosis Clinic
between 2015 and 2021. A total of 210 patients who re
ceived at least two regular doses of denosumab were eligi
ble for inclusion. Patients were categorized as denosumab
adherent and denosumab-non-adherent. Adherence was
defined as receiving the six-month scheduled dose with a
maximum delay of up to eight weeks.
Results Overall, 124 (59.05%) patients were denosumab
adherent and 86 patients (40.95%) were denosumab-non
adherent. New fragility fractures were identified in 32 pa
tients: 17 in the denosumab-adherent group and 15 in the
denosumab-non-adherent group. The groups did not sig
nificantly differ in the risk or types of new fractures, irre
spective of patients’ fracture history.
Conclusions Our findings suggest that some fractures af
ter denosumab discontinuation may stem from the natural
progression of osteoporosis rather than from the rebound
effect. Still, unscheduled treatment discontinuation should
be prevented.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
352547
URI
Publication date:
22.10.2025.
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