Changes in cross-sectional area of spinal canal and vertebral body under 2 years of teriparatide treatment: results from the EUROFORS study.

Abstract

The treatment of osteoporotic patients with teriparatide is associated with a significant increase in bone formation and gain of bone mass. The purpose of this post hoc analysis was to determine if the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the spinal canal and the vertebral body is affected by teriparatide treatment. Narrowing of the spinal canal might represent a safety problem, while widening of the vertebral CSA might improve mechanical stability. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans of vertebra T12 were obtained at baseline and after 6, 12, and 24 months of teriparatide treatment (20 microg/day) from 44 postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis participating in the prospective, randomized EUROFORS study. The CSA of the spinal canal did not decrease but increased marginally by 0.9% (2.6 mm(2)) over 24 months (P < 0.001), with a range from -0.5% (-2 mm(2)) to 3.1% (+8 mm(2)). Even when analyzing the spinal CSA on a slice-by-slice basis, no clinically relevant narrowing of the spinal canal was observed. For vertebral bodies, the CSA increased by 0.7% (5.7 mm(2)) over 24 months (P < 0.001), with a range from -0.4% (-3 mm(2)) to 1.6% (+14 mm(2)). Our data do not provide evidence for safety concerns regarding spinal canal narrowing. On the other hand, the increases observed for vertebral CSA apparently also only minimally contribute to the mechanical strengthening of the vertebral body under teriparatide treatment.

• Authors: R Schnell, C Graeff, A Krebs, H Oertel, C-C Glüer
• Journal: Calcified tissue international (Calcif Tissue Int) Vol. 87 Issue 2 Pg. 130-6 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1432-0827 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20571786 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Bone Density Conservation Agents
• Teriparatide

Topics

• Aged
• Bone Density Conservation Agents (therapeutic use)
• Bone Diseases, Developmental
• Craniofacial Abnormalities
• Female
• Growth Disorders
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Osteoporosis (complications, diagnostic imaging, drug therapy, pathology)
• Postmenopause
• Prospective Studies
• Spinal Canal (diagnostic imaging, drug effects, pathology)
• Spine (diagnostic imaging, drug effects, pathology)
• Teriparatide (therapeutic use)
• Thoracic Vertebrae (diagnostic imaging, drug effects, pathology)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed