Objective:To evaluate the short-term therapeutic efficacy of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Methods:A total of 26 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were randomly classified into two groups to receive open-label use of 20 μg biosynthetic human parathyroid hormone (PTH) subcutaneously or 200 U salmon calcitonin(CT) in a nasal spray per day,and all patients were supplemented daily with 500 mg elemental calcium and 200 U vitamin D throμghout the 24 weeks. The bone mineral densities (BMD) of all patients were measured before and after 24-week treatment. At the same time the biochemical marker of bone formation serum osteocalcin (OC) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) were determined. Results:The BMD increase at the lumber spine(L2-4) in the PTH and the CT group were 5.11%(P < 0.01)and 2.13%(P > 0.05)respectively at 24 weeks,but the BMD changes at the femoral neck,trochanter and the total hip in each group were not significant,and no significant difference of final BMD was observed at any matching site between the two groups. There were obvious increases in serum osteocalcin (OC) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) level in the PTH group(173.04%,47.48% respectively,all P < 0.001),but the levels of both markers were not changed in the CT group. Conclusion:PTH application was associated with larger increases in lumbar spine BMD,although PTH can increase bone formation markers while CT can not,PTH seems to be equally effective with CT in the short-term treatment.