The Use of Intranasal Calcitonin to Improve Pain and Activity in Elderly Pelvic Ring Injuries

Pelvic ring fractures in the geriatric population are a rising problem for surgeons in industrialized countries. Many of these low-energy fractures are treated nonoperatively; however, pain is a significant factor in recovery of these patients and often inhibits their ability to mobilize. Most of these fractures are lateral compression type 1 injuries which are defined as an impaction to the sacrum with varying amounts of anterior/pubic root/rami fractures. Many of these patients in the geriatric population suffer from osteoporosis and the injuries are often sustained from a low-energy mechanism like a fall. The tenet of treatment for all osteoporotic fractures is early mobilization. It is well known that extended periods of bed rest will lead to pneumonia, decubitus ulceration, deep venous thrombosis, and, in the case of the pelvis, not prevent subsequent deformity. Calcitonin is a polypeptide containing 32 amino acids, and it plays a role in the regulation of bone metabolism as a hormone that prevents bone resorption. Intranasal salmon calcitonin (ISC) has been demonstrated to decrease pain and improve the level of activity in patients with acute vertebral osteoporotic compression fractures when administered within the first 5 days of onset of pain/injury. It has also demonstrated an immediate post analgesic effect in osteoporotic distal radius fractures treated nonoperatively. The antihyperalgesic action of calcitonin appears to be mediated by serotonin receptors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of ISC on geriatric patients with pelvic ring injuries who are treated nonoperatively.