Investigating the effect of Romosozumab on osteoporosis following spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe rapid bone loss below the level of injury, and subsequently osteoporosis and increased risk of minimal trauma fractures. There is currently no effective treatment for treating SCI-induced osteoporosis. Current methods of prevention, predominantly bisphosphonates, have very limited efficacy. Sclerostin is now known to mediate SCI-induced bone loss. Recently, a sclerostin inhibitor, romosozumab, has become available for the treatment of osteoporosis. Sclerostin inhibition prevents bone loss following SCI in pre-clinical studies. We hypothesis that romosozumab will be highly effective for the prevention of bone loss and osteoporosis in SCI. This study will compare romosozumab followed by the bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid versus zoledronic acid alone, administered early after acute SCI, for prevention of SCI-induced osteoporosis. We will recruit 32 participants (16 in each group) in a randomised controlled study. Participants will either receive romosozumab for 12 months followed by maintenance therapy with zoledronic acid, or zoledronic acid alone. We expect to show that the marked bone loss which occurs following acute SCI can be prevented by the administration of romosozumab.