Effect of methandrostenolone on postmenopausal bone wasting as assessed by changes in total bone mineral mass

To assess the efficacy of methandrostenolone in the treatment of osteoporosis a 26-mo double-blind study was performed with 13 treated and 13 control (placebo) postmenopausal osteoporotic females.^Drug effect was assessed primarily by determinations of total body calcium (TBC) by neutron activation analysis, essentially a measurement of total bone mineral mass.^Results in the 16 patients completing the study (10 treated and 6 placebo) as well as in all 26 patients participating in the study, showed significant (p < 0.01) differences in the change in TBC between treated and control groups.^The drug effect appeared to persist throughout the 26-mo observation period.^Thus these data strongly suggest that long-term use of methandrostenolone in postmenopausal osteoporosis prevented bone loss; the possibility that it increased bone mass above initial values is less certain.


Univ. of Washington, Seattle
2001 May 13
Chestnut, C.H. III ; Nelp, W.B. ; Baylink, D.J. ; Denney, J.D.