In reply: We thank Falkenberg for his comments in reference to our article in the Journal.1 Two recent large-scale population-based studies have suggested that subtrochanteric femur fractures are rare both in the general population and among bisphosphonate users.2,3 While personal experience may often suggest otherwise, a cluster of atypical fractures cannot be used as an indicator of true incidence in the absence of data on the frequency of bisphosphonate use in a particular population.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
Markus Seibel is a member of advisory boards for Merck Sharp and Dohme, Novartis, Amgen and Sanofi-Aventis. He has also received funding from these companies for institutional research.