U. S. and Swiss researchers have said that Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, a commonly used inject-able contraceptive, is linked to a higher risk of bone fracture.

DMPA, a progestin-only long acting reversible hormonal birth control drug which is injected every 3 months, is associated with higher bone fracture risk when used alone and not in combination with estrogen, researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland and the Boston University Medical Center have said.

The relationship between long-term use of DMPA, with or without estrogen, and the risk of fractures was analyzed by the researchers.

It was also found by the study that for women age 50 and younger, the use of DMPA for two or more years is associated with a 50 percent increased risk of fracture, but for those using the combined estrogen-containing oral contraceptives the risk of fracture was not increased. (With Inputs from Agencies)