Postoperative Antiosteoporotic Treatment with Zoledronic Acid Improves Rotator Cuff Healing but Does Not Improve Outcomes in Female Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized Study

Mingjie Lei; Zhenglin Zhu; Xiaobo Hu; Dandong Wu; Wei Huang; Yong Zhang; Hong Chen

doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2023.09.033

Postoperative Antiosteoporotic Treatment with Zoledronic Acid Improves Rotator Cuff Healing but Does Not Improve Outcomes in Female Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomized Study

Arthroscopy. 2024 Mar;40(3):714-722. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2023.09.033. Epub 2023 Oct 11.

Authors

Mingjie Lei¹, Zhenglin Zhu¹, Xiaobo Hu², Dandong Wu³, Wei Huang¹, Yong Zhang⁴, Hong Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
² Department of Orthopedics, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, China.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁴ Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁵ Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China; Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. Electronic address: chhong113@126.com.

PMID: 37832742
DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2023.09.033

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the antiosteoporotic agent zoledronic acid (ZA) on rotator cuff healing and clinical outcomes in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 138 female patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis who were scheduled to undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) from March 2020 to March 2021. Patients were randomly allocated to the ZA group (ARCR followed by intravenous ZA infusions at postoperative Day 1 and 1 year later) and the control group (ARCR alone). All patients were followed up for 24 months. Tendon healing was evaluated by ultrasonography at 6 weeks and 24 months after surgery. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index, and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain were recorded at each follow-up, and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was calculated.

Results: A total of 124 patients were included in the final analysis, 61 in the ZA group and 63 in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in participant characteristics between the 2 groups. The ZA group had a significantly higher tendon healing rate than the control group at 2 years after surgery (odds ratio = 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-18.7; P = .014). Regarding clinical outcomes, 100% of patients exceeded the MCID in both groups, and no significant differences were found at 2 years after surgery between the 2 groups (ASES: 2.5 [95% CI, -2.2 to 7.2; P = .291]; WORC index: 4.5 [95% CI, -0.117 to 9.117; P = .056]; NRS: -0.1 [95% CI, -0.3 to 0.1; P = .394]).

Conclusions: Antiosteoporotic treatment with ZA reduced the retear rate but did not significantly influence the clinical outcomes after ARCR in female patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Outcomes of ARCR showed good results in both groups and exceeded the MCID.

Level of evidence: Level I, randomized controlled trial.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Arthroscopy / methods
Female
Humans
Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal* / drug therapy
Prospective Studies
Rotator Cuff / surgery
Rotator Cuff Injuries* / drug therapy
Rotator Cuff Injuries* / surgery
Treatment Outcome
Zoledronic Acid / therapeutic use

Substances

Zoledronic Acid