Oxandrolone is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid. It is a 17 alpha-methylated version of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It can be used for the treatment of many kinds of disorders such as idiopathic short stature, body mass loss due to catabolic illness, severe burns, trauma and hereditary angioedema as well as turner syndrome. Oxandrolone is especially effective in the treatment of severe burns without causing obvious side effects. It acts as an agonist of the androgen receptor, which modulates related gene expression to increase protein synthesis, further boosting muscle growth and increasing body mass as well as bone mineral density. However, it should be noted that its androgenic effect is less than its anabolic effect.