Bone fractures in patients using tapentadol or oxycodone: an exploratory US claims database study.

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Pharmacology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Opioid analgesics, including tapentadol and oxycodone, are commonly prescribed for various pain conditions.
• These opioids possess distinct mechanisms of action, potentially influencing their side effect profiles.
• Fracture risk is a significant concern in patients using long-term opioid therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare fracture outcomes between tapentadol and oxycodone in patients with pain.
• To investigate potential differences in fracture rates associated with these two opioid analgesics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort pilot study utilizing MarketScan claims databases (June 2009-December 2015).
• Included patients with postoperative pain, back pain, or osteoarthritis treated with tapentadol, oxycodone, or both.
• Analyzed fracture rates per treatment-year based on prescription claims.

Main Results:

• Fracture rates per treatment-year were 1.512 for tapentadol and 3.013 for oxycodone.
• A total of 1080 fractures were observed during tapentadol treatment and 72,275 during oxycodone treatment.
• The data suggests a lower incidence of fractures with tapentadol compared to oxycodone.

Conclusions:

• This exploratory analysis of administrative claims indicates a potentially lower fracture rate with tapentadol versus oxycodone.
• Limitations of administrative claims data necessitate caution in interpretation.
• Further clinical trials are required to validate these findings and confirm the comparative fracture risk of tapentadol and oxycodone.