Table 2.

Meta-analyses of comparison of effect of intravenous versus oral bisphosphonates on skeletal morbidity in patients with metastatic bone disease

	Intravenous			Oral
Outcome	No of patients	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P value	No of patients	Odds ratio (95% CI)	P value
Vertebral fractures	2543	0.69 (0.52 to 0.91)	0.009	695	0.68 (0.48 to 0.97)	0.032
Non-vertebral fractures	2947	0.78 (0.63 to 0.96)	0.018	729	0.59 (0.37 to 0.93)	0.024
Combined fractures	2543	0.64 (0.53 to 0.77)	0.0001	632	0.93 (0.35 to 2.50)	0.89
Radiotherapy	2947	0.66 (0.56 to 0.78)	0.0001	193	0.39 (0.09 to 1.79)	0.228
Orthopaedic surgery	2570	0.70 (0.46 to 1.05)	0.086	—	—	—
Hypercalcaemia	2930	0.40 (0.22 to 0.73)	0.003	1064	0.78 (0.51 to 1.20)	0.263