Effects of different doses of metformin on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic disease,which may cause various complications.Patients with diabetes are at high risk of bone and joint disorders,such as osteoporosis and bone fractures.In addition,it became widely accepted that diabetes has an important impact on bone metabolism.Metformin is a commonly used and effective first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes.Some glucose-lowering agents have been found to have an effect on bone metabolism.The present study explored if different doses of metformin have an effect on bone mineral density(BMD)and bone metabolism in type 2 diabetes.AIM To investigate the effects of different doses of metformin on BMD and bone metabolism in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS A total of 120 elderly male outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted to our hospital were included in the study from July 2018 to June 2019.They were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group with 60 patients in each group.Patients in the experimental group were given high dose metformin four times a day 0.5 g each time for 12 wk.Patients in the control group were given low dose metformin orally twice a day 0.5 g each time for 12 wk.The changes in bone mineral density and bone metabolism before and after treatment and the efficacy rate of the treatment were compared between the two groups.RESULTS There was no significant difference in the efficacy rate between the two groups(P>0.05).Before the treatment,there was no significant difference in BMD and bone metabolism between the two groups(P>0.05).However,after the treatment,BMD and bone metabolism were improved in the two groups.Moreover,BMD and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group,and N-terminal/midregion andβ-isomerized Cterminal telopeptides were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group(all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Both high and low dose metformin can effectively control the blood glucose levels in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.However,the benefits of high dose metformin in improving BMD and bone metabolism level was more obvious in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Locking plate fixation combined with iliac crest bone autologous graft for proximal humerus comminuted fracture

Background Although the use of an intramedullary fibular allograft together with locking plate fixation can provide additional medial support and prevent varus malalignment in displaced proximal humeral fractures with promising results,the fibular autograft donor site often sustains significant trauma and cannot restore the articular surface of comminuted fractures.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a locking plate and crest bone autologous graft for treating proximal humerus comminuted fractures.Methods We assessed the functional outcomes and complication rates in 40 patients with proximal humerus comminuted fractures.Eighteen patients were treated with a locking plate and an autologous crest bone graft （experimental group）,and 22 were treated with only the locking plate and no bone graft （control group）.Postoperative assessments included radiographic imaging,range of motion analysis,pain level based on the visual analogue scale （VAS）,and the SF-36 （Short Form （36） Health Survey）,as well as whether patients could retum to their previous occupation.Results All fractures healed both clinically and radiologically in the experimental group.There was no more than 2 mm collapse of the humeral head,and no osteonecrosis or screw penetration of the articular surface.In contrast,two patients had a nonunion in the control group,and they eventually accepted total shoulder replacements.The average time from surgery to radiographic union was significantly shorter in the experimental group （（4.66±1.63） months） compared with the control group （（5.98±1.57） months） （P ＜0.05）.For the experimental versus controls groups,the mean shoulder active flexion （148.00±18.59 vs.121.73±17.20） degrees,extension （49.00±2.22 vs.42.06±2.06） degrees,internal rotation （45.00±5.61 vs.35.00±3.55）degrees,external rotation （64.00±9.17 vs.52.14±5.73）degrees,and abduction （138.00±28.78 vs.105.95±15.66） degrees were all significantly higher （all P ＜0.001）.The median SF-36 in the experimental group （（88.00±5.71） points） was significantly higher than that of the control group （（69.45±9.45） points; P ＜0.001）.The median VAS pain level （mean rank,10.50） in the experimental group was lower than that （mean rank,47.19） of the control group （P ＜0.001）.All but one patient （17 of 18,94.4％） in the experimental group returned to their previous activities or occupations,and that one patient changed to a different occupation because of slight restrictions to activities.On the other hand,four patients could not return to their previous activities or occupations in the control group.Conclusion Locking plate fixation combined with an iliac crest bone graft is an effective technique for treating proximal humerus comminuted fractures.