Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by cartilage and bone destruction leading to functional disability. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis also are inclined to have lower bone density and to develop osteoporosis, a condition that leaves them more prone to fractures. With improper care, these incapacitated patients can develop increased morbidity and mortality. Strontium ranelate, currently prescribed for osteoporosis, can be especially helpful in rheumatoid arthritis by strengthening bone quality, reducing fracture risks, and promoting fracture healing. We report a 62-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who suffered a periprosthetic fracture of the femur. After five months of treatment with systemic administration of strontium ranelate, she achieved pain-free ambulation and near union of the aforementioned fracture. In addition, she reported a significant improvement of her polyarthralgia, so that she could stop taking analgesics for her underlying condition in the second month of strontium ranelate therapy. Given this unexpected result, we propose that besides its already known pharmacological effects, strontium ranelate could have an additional benefit in improving polyarthralgia in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Keywords: fracture healing; joint pain; rheumatoid arthritis; strontium ranelate.