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.