NERIDRONATE TREATMENT IN CHILDREN WITH OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA (O.I.): THE EFFECTS ON BONE MINERAL DENSITY (BMD) AND VERTEBRAL DEFORMITIES

Objective(s): To evaluate the effects of neridronate treatment on bone mass and vertebral deformities in children with OI Material and Methods: In 66 children (34 F, 32 M; age 1-12 aa), with OI (types I,III e IV) in therapy with neridronate (2mg/kg i.v. every 3 months), were evaluated lumbar bone mass (BMD e BMAD) and vertebral deformities by radiographs and dual X-ray asborptiometry images (DXA) using QDR4500A (Hologic, Inc., Bedford, MA, U.S.A.),. Vertebral deformities were evaluated by semiquantitative assessment (SQ) of radiographs and by morphometric X-ray absorptiometry (MXA) calculating wedging index [(1-ah/ph)x100%] and concavity index [(1-mh/ph)x100%] Results: A significant increase of BMD was observed after 24 months of therapy , from 0.08±0.01 to 0.09 ±0.01 (+17.1%; p<0.01); the indexes of vertebral deformity were both significantly (p<0.01) reduced (wedging :-8.64%.; biconcavity: -10.2% .) and inversely correlated to the BMD (r=-0.372) and to the BMAD (r=-0.376). Vertebral deformities were 196 by SQ and 139 by MXA at baseline; after 24 months of therapy vertebral fractures decreased at 162 by SQ and 104 by MXA . Conclusion(s): Our data demonstrates the effectiveness of the therapy with neridronate increasing the bone density and improving the indexes of vertebral deformity. So we suggest the use of MXA (low-dose method), in the follow-up for the children with OI for the evaluation of vertebral deformities.