Question

Treating low bone density Fractures of the spine are common and serious

among women with advanced osteoporosis (low mineral density in the bones). Can taking

strontium ranelate help? A large medical trial was conducted to investigate this question.

Researchers recruited 1694 women with osteoporosis who had previously had at least one

fracture for an experiment. The women were assigned to take either strontium ranelate or a

placebo each day. All the women were taking calcium supplements and receiving standard

medical care. One response variable was the number of new fractures over 3 years.

Describe a completely randomized design for this experiment.

Answer 1

A completely randomized design for an experiment to test the effectiveness of strontium ranelate in treating osteoporosis involves recruiting women with prior fractures, randomly assigning them to either the treatment or control group, providing all with calcium supplements and standard medical care, and monitoring the number of new fractures over 3 years.

Step-by-step explanation:

Designing a Randomized Controlled Trial for Osteoporosis Treatment

To investigate the effectiveness of strontium ranelate in treating osteoporosis and preventing fractures, a completely randomized design can be utilized as follows:

1. Recruit a sample of women with advanced osteoporosis who have had at least one prior fracture.
2. Randomly assign half of the participants to the treatment group to receive strontium ranelate daily, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being in either group.
3. Assign the other half of the participants to a control group to receive a placebo.
4. Administer calcium supplements and standard medical care to all participants, ensuring uniformity in treatment conditions beyond the experimental drug.
5. Monitor all participants for new fractures over a period of 3 years, recording the number of new fractures.

This design aims to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the treatment and control groups in terms of the incidence of new fractures. It controls for other factors by ensuring that all participants receive the same level of other treatments like calcium supplements.