Commentary: statins and fracture--why the confusion?

In 1999 a paper published in Science suggested that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) increased bone formation in rodents by effects on a potent bone forming cytokine bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2).1 Subsequent studies have suggested that statins increase bone mineral density (BMD) in humans2 and have investigated whether statin use is associated with reduced fracture risk