Fluoride has been proposed as a therapy for the vertebral crush fracture syndrome for many years; such proposals have been based largely on the well-characterized syndrome of fluoride intoxication (fluorosis), which is marked by increased skeletal mass and sometimes exuberant bony overgrowths (1-4). For various reasons, including the inability to develop a patentable product, the clinical studies necessary to follow this lead and establish efficacy and safety have proceeded slowly. Nevertheless, much information on fluoride use in the treatment of the vertebral crush fracture syndrome has been amassed, and during the past 9 years fluoride therapy has been approved for