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Effectiveness of elcatonin for alleviating pain and inhibiting bone resorption in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures

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Abstract

Elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures often experience severe pain that reduces their quality of life (QOL). Calcitonin, a bone resorption inhibitor, has been reported to alleviate pain in such patients; however, few clinical studies have demonstrated this effect. The objective of this study was to compare changes in pain scores, activities of daily living (ADL), QOL, bone resorption, bone mineral density (BMD), and fracture healing among patients with new vertebral fractures who received different treatment modalities. We conducted an open-label, multicenter, randomized, parallel control group study comprising 107 female patients ≥55 years old with acute back pain from vertebral fracture. All subjects received either intramuscular injections of elcatonin, a derivative of calcitonin, or an oral nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) combined with an active vitamin D3 (VD3) analogue for 6 months. The pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale, and ADL and QOL were assessed using questionnaires. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A two-tailed significance level of 5% was used. The elcatonin IM group had significantly higher QOL score at 2 weeks and later, and significantly lower VAS and ADL scores than those in the NSAID + VD3 group at 1 month and later. The elcatonin IM group had significantly reduced TRACP-5b levels compared with those in the NSAID + VD3 group at 3 months and later and significantly higher percent changes in BMD than the NSAID + VD3 group. These results suggest that elcatonin significantly alleviated pain, inhibited bone resorption, and improved ADL, QOL, and BMD compared with NSAID + VD3.

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Acknowledgements

Asahi Kasei Pharma funded this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan

    Shinya Tanaka & Shinjiro Kono

  2. Yoshida Orthopedic Clinic, Hokkaido, Japan

    Akira Yoshida

  3. Sapporo Orthopaedic Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan

    Tadanori Oguma

  4. Sapporo Orthopaedic and Cardiovascular Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan

    Kyoichi Hasegawa

  5. National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Medical Center, Hokkaido, Japan

    Manabu Ito

Authors
  1. Shinya Tanaka
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  2. Akira Yoshida
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  3. Shinjiro Kono
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  4. Tadanori Oguma
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  5. Kyoichi Hasegawa
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  6. Manabu Ito
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shinya Tanaka.

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Conflict of interest

Shinya Tanaka has received lecture fees from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, DePuy Synthes Japan, Eisai, Eli Lilly Japan, Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical, and Teijin Pharma. Akira Yoshida has received lecture fees from Asahi Kasei Pharma, Chugai Pharmaceutical, and Eisai. Manabu Ito has received lecture fees from Asahi Kasei Pharma. Shinjiro Kono, Tadanori Oguma, and Kyoichi Hasegawa have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Tanaka, S., Yoshida, A., Kono, S. et al. Effectiveness of elcatonin for alleviating pain and inhibiting bone resorption in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. J Bone Miner Metab 35, 544–553 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-016-0791-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-016-0791-6

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