OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of qianggu capsules (QGC) on the fracture healing and the bone mineral density (BMD) in radius distal osteoporosis fracture (RDOF) patients.

METHODSBone mineral density (BMD) of femoral neck in 65 patients with RDOF was detected after the fracture was fixed manually. They were then randomly divided into two groups. Thirty-three patients in the treated group took QC, 1 capsule (180 mg) each time, three times a day, while 32 patients in the control group took D-Cal Biocal 2 tablets (1500 mg) each time, once daily. The therapeutic course for both groups was three months. X-ray examination on the broken end of the fractured bone was taken every month to observe the bony callus formation for comparing the curative effect, and BMD of femoral neck were detected again after patients were treated for 3 months. The bony callus appeared earlier, more in volume with thicker cortex in the treated group after 2 months of treatment versus that in the control group. The fracture healing time in the treated group was 9.4 +/- 2.5 weeks and that in the control group was 12.5 +/- 2.9 weeks, showing significant difference between them (P < 0.05). BMD in the treated group before treatment was 0.621 +/- 0.085 g/cm2, which was lower than that after treatment (0.646 +/- 0.090 g/cm2) with significant difference showing between them (P < 0.05), while no significant change of BMD was found in the control group between before and after treatment, and significant difference was found in BMD between the two groups after treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQGC can promote the formation of bony callus ahead of time, increase the volume of bony callus and BMD, improve the bone structure, and thus the time of external fixation in treating RDOF could be reduced.