ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2026
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of paediatric chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis: a retrospective cohort study with focus on zoledronic acid.
Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesChronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis is a rare autoinflammatory bone disease of childhood. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often used first-line, while conventional and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and bisphosphonates are reserved for severe or refractory disease. Zoledronic acid (ZA) is used off-label, but robust data on its role remain limited. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of children with chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis, with a primary focus on the effectiveness and tolerability of ZA.
methodA retrospective review was conducted of children diagnosed with chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis between 2014 and 2024 at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging responses to ZA, as well as adverse effects, were evaluated.
resultsFifty-seven patients were included [mean age 10.3 years; 70% female; median follow-up 3.7 years (range 1.4-8.9)]. Multifocal disease was present in 86%, and 63% underwent biopsy. All received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs initially. Twenty-two patients (37%) received zoledronic acid (mean 2.6 doses); 77% showed significant clinical improvement. Three later required tumour necrosis factor inhibitors, and two received tumour necrosis factor inhibitors without prior zoledronic acid. Among 10 patients with pre- and post-zoledronic acid whole-body magnetic resonance imaging, 80% demonstrated significant radiological improvement. Mild, transient flu-like symptoms were reported in 54% of patients treated with zoledronic acid; no serious adverse events occurred.
conclusionZoledronic acid was associated with high clinical and radiological response rates and was well tolerated. Its infrequent dosing schedule, typically one infusion every six months, offers a practical alternative to other bisphosphonates.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.