NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A compound called strontium ranelate may reduce back pain in women with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (OA) of the spine, according to new study. The compound may also delay progression of spinal OA.

Strontium ranelate has been shown to stimulate bone formation while inhibiting bone resorption.

Dr. Olivier Bruyere from University of Liege, Belgium and colleagues say their findings suggest that "strontium ranelate may have symptom- and structure-modifying effects in women with osteoporosis and OA."

The investigators reviewed the effects of 3 years' treatment with strontium ranelate on the clinical and structural progression of spinal OA in 1105 women. As participants in the Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention and Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis trials, 566 women had received strontium ranelate and 539 had received placebo.

The researchers found that the proportion of women with worsening overall spinal OA score was reduced by 42 percent in the strontium ranelate group relative to the placebo group.

In addition, significantly more women in the strontium ranelate group saw improvement in back pain after 3 years compared with placebo. There were no significant between-group differences in health-related quality of life, however.

"This study has implications not only in the potential treatment of chronic back pain, but also for progression of OA at other sites," the researchers conclude.

Strontium ranelate is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and has been shown to reduce the risk of fractures, Bruyere and colleagues note. They point out that strontium ranelate is also being studied in patients with OA of the knee.

The study was supported by a research grant from French pharmaceutical company Servier, which manufactures strontium ranelate.