Promotion of Bone Calcification by Sodium Fluoride: Short-Term Experiments on Newborn Rats Using Tetracycline Labeling

PROMOTION of calcium deposition in otosclerotic bone by administration of large doses of sodium fluoride has been proposed in an effort to hasten maturation and inactivation of an actively growing otosclerotic focus.¹ This proposition was based on a number of theoretical considerations, including the resemblance of the active spongy stage of otosclerosis to the gnarly young bone found in callus formation and to the spongy bone of Paget's disease. Recent observations have demonstrated a beneficial effect of large doses of sodium fluoride on the symptoms of Paget's disease and on the negative calcium balance of this condition.² We have confirmed this observation in a 57-year-old female patient with stapes fixation produced by Paget's disease of the middle ear and labyrinth capsule. Severe pain and lameness of the femur and hip joint produced by Paget's disease were markedly improved by the administration of sodium fluoride, 60 mg daily for