• Linsey A Blau and James D Hoehns.
• College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
• Ann Pharmacother. 2003 Apr 1; 37 (4): 564-70.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the analgesic efficacy of calcitonin for treating the pain of vertebral fractures associated with osteoporosis.Data SourcesSearches of MEDLINE (1966-July 2002), Cochrane Library, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1977-July 2002), and an extensive manual review of journals were performed using the key search terms calcitonin, analgesic, osteoporosis, vertebral fracture, and pain.Study Selection And Data ExtractionAll articles identified from the data sources were evaluated and all information deemed relevant was included for this review.Data SynthesisFractures, especially vertebral fractures, are a common complication of osteoporosis, leading to significant pain. Calcitonin has been studied for its analgesic properties. Fourteen double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated the analgesic efficacy of calcitonin for osteoporosis-related vertebral fracture pain were identified and reviewed. Thirteen of these studies demonstrated statistically significant improvement in pain or function in calcitonin-treated patients.ConclusionsCalcitonin has proven efficacy in acute pain associated with osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures. Analgesic effects are seen with intranasal, parenteral, and rectal administration. Future studies comparing calcitonin with other commonly used analgesics are needed to more clearly define its place in therapy.

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