138 women (100 at final follow-up) who underwent short proximal femoral nailing for a low-energy intertrochanteric fracture were randomized to receive either risendronate (75 mg twice monthly) or a placebo equivalent. The purpose of this study was to examine whether quantitative ultrasound was able to detect the effects of risendronate on bone strength, as confirmed by the incidence of re-fracture in these women. Results indicated that quantitative ultrasound was able to detect that bone strength increased in patients taking risendronate compared to placebo, as confirmed by the lower incidence of re-fracture in the risendronate group.