[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/prolia-bone-fractures\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/prolia-bone-fractures\/","headline":"Prolia for Bone Fractures \u2014 I\u2019m Still Not Impressed","name":"Prolia for Bone Fractures \u2014 I\u2019m Still Not Impressed","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest When the bone drug Prolia (denosumab) first came out in 2010, I took a hard look at it because it used a completely different mechanism than widely used bisphosphonate drugs, focusing on the RANK\/RANK-L\/OPG system to prevent osteoclasts from being \u201cactivated\u201d instead of decreasing their number like […]","datePublished":"2024-04-01","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/prolia-BB-Blog-4-20.jpg","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/prolia-BB-Blog-4-20.jpg","height":1109,"width":2120},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/prolia-bone-fractures\/","video":[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw","name":"Alert! FDA Drops Bombshell on PROLIA for Osteoporosis","description":"Just found out why the black box warning on Prolia is a HUGE deal and it\u2019s even bigger than we thought! \ud83d\ude31 Stopping Prolia might be riskier than you thought. Spontaneous fractures, urgent new drug requirements, and now, a dire warning for kidney patients. Discover the evolving risks that have experts and patients reeling. Are you at risk? Watch to uncover the truth behind Prolia's journey and what it means for you.  \ud83d\ude28 It's a reminder that understanding drug side effects takes time. If you're on any bone drug, keep up with the research and work closely with your doc.\n\nHere to remind you at the Center for Better Bones www.betterbones.com, let's build our bone strength naturally and stay safe. Be well, and let's keep this convo going! \n\n\ud83e\uddb4 Need a sense of community during your bone health journey? Join us in Dr. Brown's \"Tribe\" where we bring together women who want to understand the underlying causes of their bone loss to learn, share and grow together so that they can increase calm, reduce anxiety, and no longer live in fear of Osteoporosis! \ud83e\uddb4https:\/\/drbrown.cc\/3lByM6k \n\n\n\u2192 Interested in a product Dr. Brown talked about in one of her videos? Learn more about Dr. Brown's professional-grade nutrients at - https:\/\/alkalineforlife.com\n\n\u2192 Want to learn everything you need to manage & reverse your osteoporosis\/osteopenia naturally in one comprehensive ONLINE MASTERCLASS with Dr. Brown? Join Dr. Brown's Better Bones Solution (Rave Reviews \ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\udf1f)! Learn more and sign up for this Masterclass here: https:\/\/tribe.drsusanbrownphd.com\/plans\/242004?bundle_token=f02b7ca12e192a0257d465338d133e02&utm_source=manual\n\n\u2192 If you are interested in working with Dr. Brown to develop a personalized natural bone health program, read more about consultations here: https:\/\/www.betterbones.com\/consultations\/help-osteoporosis-osteopenia-fracture-healing-bone-health-concerns\/\n\n\u2192 Questions for Dr. Brown?  Comment below and she may address them in a future video! If you want your questions answered right away by Dr. Brown herself, you can sign up for her Office Hours, where she will answer questions on Zoom in a group format once a week. Sign up for the next session here: https:\/\/shop.betterbones.com\/collections\/education\/products\/office-hours-w-dr-brown\n\nCheck out our website! \u2192 http:\/\/ www.betterbones.com\n\nWant to connect with Better Bones on social media?\nSubscribe on TikTok \u2192 https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@drsusanbrown\nLike on Facebook \u2192 http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bFollow on Twitter \u2192 http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/drsusanbrown\n\u200bFollow our Instagram \u2192 http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drsusanbrown\n\u200bCheck out our Pinterest \u2192 http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\n#drsusanbrown #prolia #fda #fdablackboxwarning #proliasideeffects #proliawarning #osteoporosis #bonedrugs #bonedensity #dexa #osteoporosisprevention #bonehealth","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sZPSWZocbJw\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sZPSWZocbJw\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sZPSWZocbJw\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sZPSWZocbJw\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/sZPSWZocbJw\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2024-02-15T17:32:50+00:00","duration":"PT3M36S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sZPSWZocbJw","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown","description":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body -- the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. Dr. Brown specializes in osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone health regeneration, and auto-immune disease. She is also famous for her natural approach to bone health; check out her Better Bones programs and products.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_m0l08uY9k8RO1FbN8-VsYIOa8fiq9BtocNNM_k3xw7a7s=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":72463}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sZPSWZocbJw#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1320}]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM","name":"Prolia- Your Questions Answered","description":"Dr. Susan Brown answers common questions from clients about Prolia - a bone building drug.\n\n\n\u2192 Want to learn everything you need to manage & reverse your osteoporosis\/osteopenia naturally in one inspiring weekend with Dr. Brown? Join our bone health retreat & workshop! Learn more here: https:\/\/shop.betterbones.com\/pages\/love-your-bones-love-your-life-virtual-retreat\n\n\u2192 If you are interested in working with Dr. Brown to develop a personalized natural bone health program, read more about consultations here: https:\/\/www.betterbones.com\/consultations\/help-osteoporosis-osteopenia-fracture-healing-bone-health-concerns\/\n\n\u2192 Would you like your questions answered by Dr. Brown?  Comment below and she may address them in a future video!\n\nCheck out our website! \u2192 http:\/\/ www.betterbones.com\n\nWant to connect with Better Bones on social media?\nLike on Facebook \u2192 http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bFollow on Twitter \u2192 http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/drsusanbrown\n\u200bFollow our Instagram \u2192 http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bCheck out our Pinterest \u2192 http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\n#osteoporosis #osteopenia #bonemass #bonehealth #weightandbonemass #womenshealth #drsusanbrown #betterbonesbetterbody #preventosteoporosis\n\nExercise for bone health: patreon.com\/betterbones","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CyOwyus5rJM\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CyOwyus5rJM\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CyOwyus5rJM\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CyOwyus5rJM\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/CyOwyus5rJM\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2018-01-19T19:24:46+00:00","duration":"PT9M45S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CyOwyus5rJM","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown","description":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body -- the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. Dr. Brown specializes in osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone health regeneration, and auto-immune disease. She is also famous for her natural approach to bone health; check out her Better Bones programs and products.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_m0l08uY9k8RO1FbN8-VsYIOa8fiq9BtocNNM_k3xw7a7s=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":76716}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyOwyus5rJM#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1082}]}],"about":["Bone Drugs"],"wordCount":712,"keywords":["Fracture","bone drugs","prolia","osteoporosis treatment"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen the bone drug Prolia (denosumab) first came out in 2010, I took a hard look at it because it used a completely different mechanism than widely used bisphosphonate drugs, focusing on the RANK\/RANK-L\/OPG system to prevent osteoclasts from being \u201cactivated\u201d instead of decreasing their number like bisphosphonates. I wasn\u2019t satisfied in 2010 that this drug was any safer or more effective than bisphosphonates, and sad to say my skepticism has been borne out by recent research.Dr. Brown’s 2024 Update:Is Prolia a blockbuster bone drug — or a bust?The FREEDOM Trial, which studied Prolia use in postmenopausal women for 3 years, found very little reduction in fracture risk. Vertebral and hip fractures were reduced 4.8% and 0.3% \u2014 meaning for 100 women they treated, only 5 saw fewer vertebral fractures than you\u2019d expect with a placebo, and not even one woman was spared from a hip fracture by the drug. Given that hip fractures are considerably more harmful than vertebral fractures, these are minimal benefits indeed.Although gains in bone density were observed, those gains were lost within 1 year of halting the drug (Cummings et al., 2017).Furthermore, once they stopped using Prolia, patients\u2019 risk of vertebral fracture quickly (<1\u20132 years) reverted to the same risk seen in those who\u2019d never taken the drug in the first place (Cummings et al., 2017). They also lost a significant amount of the bone they\u2019d gained by using Prolia \u2014 35.5% of the total gain in the spine, 44.6% of the total gain in the femoral neck and 103.3% in the total hip (Zanchetta et al., 2017). In other words, the drug offered no lasting benefit.Much more concerning: the finding that patients were more susceptible to having multiple vertebral fractures after discontinuing Prolia than patients who\u2019d never taken the drug at all \u2014 and it was especially high in those who\u2019d had such fractures prior to going on the drug in the first place (Cummings et al., 2017; Anastasilakis et al., 2017). This finding confirmed a number of earlier case reports of \u201crebound fractures\u201d in patients who had discontinued Prolia within the preceding 12 months. Researchers speculated such fractures were a consequence of sudden renewal of bone resorption after the drug was stopped in combination with the absence of repair mechanisms during its use (Anastasilakis et al., 2017; Lamy et al., 2017; Polyzos & Terpos, 2016).I\u2019ve said repeatedly that working against nature invites unintended consequences, so I\u2019m not surprised by these results. What is disappointing is the continued emphasis on the \u201cmagic bullet\u201d approach to osteoporosis, when it has been clear for so many years that Prolia\u00a0just doesn\u2019t work. [av_toggle_container initial=’0′ mode=’accordion’ sort=” styling=” colors=” font_color=” background_color=” border_color=” av_uid=’av-yoeaw3z5′ custom_class=”][av_toggle title=’References’ tags=” av_uid=’av-m0b7el9d’]Anastasilakis AD, Polyzos SA, Makras P, Aubry-Rozier B, Kaouri S, Lamy O. Clinical features of 24 patients with rebound-associated vertebral fractures after denosumab discontinuation: systematic review and additional cases. J Bone Miner Res. 2017 Jun;32(6):1291-1296. doi: 10.1002\/jbmr.3110. Epub 2017 Mar 13.Cummings SR, Ferrari S, Eastell R, Gilchrist N, Jensen JB, McClung M, Roux C, T\u00f6rring O, Valter I, Wang AT, Brown JP. Vertebral fractures after discontinuation of denosumab: a post hoc analysis of the randomized placebo-controlled FREEDOM Trial and its extension. J Bone Miner Res. 2017 Nov 4. doi: 10.1002\/jbmr.3337. [Epub ahead of print]Lamy O, Gonzalez-Rodriguez E, Stoll D, Hans D, Aubry-Rozier B1. Severe rebound-associated vertebral fractures after denosumab discontinuation: 9 clinical cases report. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Feb 1;102(2):354-358. doi: 10.1210\/jc.2016-3170Polyzos SA, Terpos E. Clinical vertebral fractures following denosumab discontinuation. Endocrine. 2016 Oct;54(1):271-272. Epub 2016 Jul 8.Popp AW, Zysset PK, Lippuner K. Rebound-associated vertebral fractures after discontinuation of denosumab-from clinic and biomechanics. Osteoporosis Int. 2016 May;27(5):1917-21. doi: 10.1007\/s00198-015-3458-6. Epub 2015 Dec 22.Zanchetta MB, Boailchuk J, Massari F, Silveira F, Bogado C, Zanchetta JR. Significant bone loss after stopping long-term denosumab treatment: a post FREEDOM study. Osteoporosis Int. 2018 Jan;29. doi: 10.1007\/s00198-017-4242-6. [Epub ahead of print][\/av_toggle][\/av_toggle_container]  For a complete guide to rebuilding bone naturally, see our resource on natural osteoporosis support and bone rebuilding.For natural support alongside any treatment, read our complete guide to bone health nutrition as a natural foundation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Drugs","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Prolia for Bone Fractures \u2014 I\u2019m Still Not Impressed","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-drugs\/prolia-bone-fractures\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]