One-month follow-up of patients treated by intravenous clodronate for acute pain induced by osteoporotic vertebral fracture.
Disodium-clodronate is one of the most experimented drugs for the management of bone pain caused by vertebral fractures induced by skeletal metastases and myeloma as well as by osteoporosis. In a previous study, treatment with intravenous disodium-clodronate 300 mg/day in saline produced satisfactory relief of moderate or severe back pain in 15 patients with painful vertebral crush. The present study examines the general behavior of pain in patients suffering from vertebral crush when treated with intravenous disodium-clodronate and after discontinuation of medication. At the end of treatment, pain relief was significantly greater in patients treated with disodium-clodronate. After discontinuation of treatment the patients who had been taking disodium-clodronate for pain due to vertebral crush were generally better than those previously on acetaminophen. At the end of follow-up, no significant differences were found between the two groups. In our study, the use of disodium-clodronate was associated with a reduction in the number of days the patients experienced severe pain, which suggests that disodium-clodronate is a first-line drug in the treatment of recent vertebral crush.
Rovetta
G
G
Department of Rheumatology, Bruzzone Rheumatology Center, DISEM, University of Genoa, Italy.
Maggiani
G
G
Molfetta
L
L
Monteforte
P
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology*
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D004002:Clodronic Acid