Effects of Strontium Ranelate on Spinal Interbody Fusion Surgery in an Osteoporotic Rat Model

PLoS One. 2017 Jan 4;12(1):e0167296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167296. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that afflicts millions of people around the world, and a variety of spinal integrity issues, such as degenerative spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, are frequently concomitant with osteoporosis and are sometimes treated with spinal interbody fusion surgery. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of strontium ranelate (SrR) treatment of osteoporosis in improving bone strength, promoting bone remodeling, and reducing the risk of fractures, but its effects on interbody fusion surgery have not been adequately investigated. SrR-treated rats subjected to interbody fusion surgery exhibited significantly higher lumbar vertebral bone mineral density after 12 weeks of treatment than rats subjected to the same surgery but not treated with SrR. Furthermore, histological and radiographic assessments showed that a greater amount of newly formed bone tissue was present and that better fusion union occurred in the SrR-treated rats than in the untreated rats. Taken together, these results show significant differences in bone mineral density, PINP level, histological score, SrR content and mechanical testing, which demonstrate a relatively moderate effect of SrR treatment on bone strength and remodeling in the specific context of recovery after an interbody fusion surgery, and suggest the potential of SrR treatment as an effective adjunct to spinal interbody fusion surgery for human patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena / drug effects
  • Bone Density / drug effects
  • Calcium / analysis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Osteoporosis / drug therapy*
  • Osteoporosis / pathology
  • Osteoporosis / physiopathology
  • Osteoporosis / surgery*
  • Peptide Fragments / blood
  • Procollagen / blood
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Spinal Fusion*
  • Strontium / analysis
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase / blood
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology
  • Thiophenes / therapeutic use*
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • Procollagen
  • Thiophenes
  • procollagen Type I N-terminal peptide
  • strontium ranelate
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
  • Calcium
  • Strontium

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou (CMRPG3C0112). http://www.chang-gung.com/en/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.