Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can act by modulating the behavior of osteoblasts, including their proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration, but not all NSAIDs have these effects. Our objective was to update the information on this issue in a review of the literature in order to offer guidance on the prescription of the appropriate NSAID(s) to patients requiring bone tissue repair. To review current knowledge of this issue by searching for all relevant publications since 2001 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases, we used the following descriptors: bone tissue, osteoblast, NSAIDs, Anti-inflammatory drugs. Published studies show that most NSAIDs have an adverse effect on osteoblast growth by cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. The effect on differentiation varies according to the drug, dose, and treatment time. Osteoblast adhesion is increased and migration decreased by some NSAIDs, such as indomethacin and diclofenac. The antigenic profile or phagocytic function can also be modulated by NSAIDs. In general, NSAIDs have an adverse effect on bone tissue and given the routine administration of NSAIDs to individuals requiring bone repair, in which the osteoblast has an essential role, this effect on bone should be borne in mind.
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory drugs; Bone; NSAIDs; Osteoblast.