Low-Dose Radiotherapy as an Effective Treatment of Trochanteric Bursitis in Elderly Patients

Purpose: To determine the analgesic response to a low-dose radiation therapy (RT) in trochanteric bursitis in elderly patient’s refractory to conventional therapies. Methods: We evaluated sixty consecutive patients diagnosed with trochanteric bursitis receiving RT in our institution from July 2010 to August 2014. All patients were treated with a total dose of 10 Gy in 10 daily fractions. The median age was 68.0 years (mean 68.5 years, range 40-89 years). All patients were evaluated for the pain assessment using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before the radiotherapy, at 1 and 4 months after radiotherapy and then yearly thereafter. Results: Patient’s population analyzed according to patients’ age: patients at diagnosis: patients aged (≥ 70 years old and patients <70 years old. Basic characteristics in the group of elderly patients (≥ 70 years old) and the rate of response to radiotherapy were similar in both groups. No complications were observed after radiotherapy. The decrease of pain according to subjective evaluation with VAS scale was significant in the total of patients (VAS mean pre-RT 7.48, standard deviation (SD) 1.27, range 3-10 vs. VAS mean post-RT 3.81, SD 2.54, range 0-8), and for each group separately (p=0.000). In the group <70 years: VAS mean pre-RT was of 7.57 (SD 1.12, range 3-10) and VAS mean post-RT was of 4.00 (SD 2.64, range 0-8). In the group ≥ 70 years VAS mean pre-RT was of 7.24 (SD 1.45, range 4-10), and VAS mean post-RT was of 3.46 (SD 2.43, range 0-8). Conclusion: The percentage of response was similar in patients with ≥ 70 years at diagnosis and the group <70 years. A low-dose radiation therapy is an effective treatment of trochanteric bursitis in elderly patients.