Strontium

Strontium Citrate · Strontium Ranelate · Strontium Chloride

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Postmenopausal osteoporosis¹ Vertebral fracture risk¹ Osteoporosis in men² Knee osteoarthritis³ Postmenopausal osteoporosis^{1, 4–6} Long-term bone density⁶	Severe renal impairment⁷ Heart disease or blood clots⁷ Pregnancy or lactation⁷ Under 18 years⁷

Strontium is a trace mineral closely related to calcium that is taken up into bone, where trace-mineral reviews link supplementation to better bone quality⁸. People take it for postmenopausal osteoporosis, osteoporosis in men, and knee osteoarthritis joint structure, where trials are few. Postmenopausal women with low bone density are the typical patient.

Strontium ranelate lowered vertebral and, to a lesser extent, nonvertebral fractures in a Cochrane review¹. A long-term extension found sustained bone density gains and maintained antifracture efficacy⁶. In knee osteoarthritis, a network meta-analysis associated ranelate with less joint space narrowing but left pain estimates uncertain³. A 2023 laboratory study found added strontium biases total calcium assays upward while ionized calcium assays were largely unaffected, and some supplements held more strontium than labeled⁹. Among 422 products listing strontium, most are capsules, with citrate, chloride, and liposomal forms; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is vascular: ranelate carries an increased risk of thromboembolic disease, and a narrative review limits its role to patients without cardiovascular risk factors¹⁰. Two product labels direct patients taking blood-thinning medications to consult a healthcare provider before use⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

54 sources, 47 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources