Clinical efficacy of a combination of zoledronic acid and percutaneous vertebroplasty in spinal metastases and its influence on serum levels of bone loss markers

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the clinical efficacy of zoledronic acid plus percutaneous vertebroplasty in spinal metastasis, and its effect on serum levels of bone loss markers. Methods: Sixty-two patients with spinal metastases were randomly divided into study group (n = 31) and control group (n = 31). The control group underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty, while study group received zoledronic acid plus. Analgesic effect, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, improvement in movement ability, quality of life, carboxy-terminal cross-linked peptide of type I collagen (ICTP), procollagen type I N-terminal amino peptide (PINP), and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) levels were compared between the two groups. Results: The study group presented a higher degree of analgesic effectiveness and better performance than the control group (p < 0.05). After treatment, the Kamofsky function scores were increased in both groups, but it was higher in the study group (p < 0.05). After treatment, the JOA score of the study group was higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The post-treatment levels of ICTP, PINP and BALP decreased in both groups, but was markedly lower in the study group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A combination of percutaneous vertebroplasty and zoledronic acid is effective for the treatment of spinal metastasis. It enhances mobility, improves quality of life, reduces serum levels of bone loss markers, and produces good analgesic effect.