Aims: To investigate the use of the aminobisphosphonate, disodium pamidronate, in children with vertebral osteoporosis.
Methods: Five children (aged 10-15 years) with vertebral osteoporosis who developed compression fractures in the thoracic and/or lumbar spine as a consequence of five different conditions, received treatment with intravenous disodium pamidronate in doses ranging from 0.5 to 12 mg/kg/y.
Results: Each child had rapid pain relief following the first treatment, followed by large increments in lumbar spine bone density over one year; the change in bone density standard deviation score ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 with percentage increments of 26% to 54%.
Conclusion: Intravenous pamidronate appears to be a useful therapeutic option in childhood osteoporosis, but its use in children must still be regarded as experimental and therefore closely monitored.