[Clodronate in erosive osteoarthrosis of the hand: efficacy for pain and function recovery].
29 patients suffering from erosive osteoarthritis of the hands (26 women with a mean age of 61.47 years and 3 men with a mean age of 53.3 years) were treated during painful episodes with cyclical intravenous clodronate (300 mg for slow infusion for 7 days). We administered 73 cycles after which the pain, evaluated by VAS' score, decreased from 5.63 +/- 2.14 to 2.93 +/- 1.95 (p = 0.0001); the pain reduction lasted for a mean of 88.33 days. In 16 out of those 73 cycles were measured also: the strength of the hands (mmHg) which increased, on the right from 169.38 +/- 75.85 to 190.31 +/- 81.76, on the left from 180.56 +/- 68.27 to 196.11 +/- 85.55 (p = n.s.); the number of painful joints which decreased from 4.75 +/- 2.52 to 2.56 +/- 1.93 (p = 0.0011); the number of swollen joints which decreased from 3.07 +/- 2.69 to 2.67 +/- 2.61 (p = n.s). These data prove the efficacy of the clodronate in treating painful episodes of erosive osteoarthritis and suggest that bisphoshonates could play an important role in the rehabilitation of this disease.
Servizio Aggregato di Reumatologia, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., Istituto Scientifico di Castel Goffredo, Via Ospedale 36, 46042 Castel Goffredo, MN, Italy.
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D000368:Aged; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D020127:Recovery of Function
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D004002:Clodronic Acid