Osteonecrosis of the jaws caused by bisphosphonates: evaluation of a new therapeutic approach using the Er:YAG laser

A systematic review of oral wound healing indices

Wound healing monitoring for abnormality identification and intervention is crucial to securing a successful surgical outcome. Indices have been used to summarize the degree of healing. Given the increasing frequency of regenerative procedures which preserve dentition and implant stability, and the higher esthetic demands, an appraisal of the available indices is needed to identify the current knowledge gap. This study aimed to systematically review published oral wound healing indices and scores.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A complete literature electronic search in 5 databases was conducted by two reviewers. A combination of keywords related to oral wound healing was used.

RESULTS

A total of 11 articles were included in the evaluation of various procedures (conventional periodontal procedures, guided tissue regeneration, soft tissue reconstruction procedures, and tooth extractions), at different time points (1 day to 12 weeks), with a focus on diverse clinical signs and symptoms. Frequently evaluated parameters included wound dehiscence/epithelialization (91%), tissue color (redness) (73%), suppuration (55%), swelling/edema (55%), and hemostasis (55%). Other less commonly used parameters include esthetics-related and patient-centered outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The available indices evaluate a diverse group of subjective clinical signs and symptoms to estimate the underlying biological healing events and assess the degree of clinical success. The majority of the included indices are not validated. Quantitative and objective subclinical parameters including blood perfusion, biomaterial stability, and completeness of epithelialization, are needed for customized wound healing care and better outcome prediction.

Carbon Dioxide Laser Sequestrectomy for Osteoradionecrosis: A Case Series

Objective: To demonstrate a new approach to sequestrectomy using a carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser for a clinic-based technique. Background: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaw is a debilitating complication of radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies. Often refractory to medical therapy, surgical intervention for early staged disease with curettage and mechanical bone removal has mixed success, making this disease extremely difficult to treat. Therefore, new approaches to treat ORN of the jaw is needed. Methods: We describe five cases of early-to-intermediate-staged ORN illustrating a novel clinic-based sequestrectomy technique using a CO₂ laser. Results: The exposed bone lesions involved the mandibular fixed gingiva, maxillary fixed gingiva, and hard palate. None of the patients had diabetes. Four patients required a total of two laser treatments and one patient needed only one treatment. All five patients demonstrated an excellent response with complete resolution of their ORN-related pain and complete mucosal coverage of the exposed bone with durable results (follow-up range, 7-19 months). Conclusions: This small series demonstrates encouraging results for CO₂ laser sequestrectomy for ORN. This novel office-based intervention merits further study in larger prospective series and exploration in other disease populations, such as medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Osteonecrosis of the jaw is a condition in which bone cells die due to various causes. It is classified as drug-induced jaw osteonecrosis, osteoradionecrosis, traumatic, non-traumatic, and spontaneous osteonecrosis. Antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drugs cause drug-induced osteonecrosis. The combination of medications, microbial contamination, and local trauma induces this condition. Osteoradionecrosis is a severe radiation therapy side effect that can affect people with head and neck cancer. It is described as an exposed bone area that does not heal for longer than three months after the end of radiation treatment with the absence of any indications of an original tumor, recurrence, or metastasis. Trauma (tooth extraction), tumor site, radiation dose that the patient receives, the area of the bone which is irradiated, oral hygiene, and other factors are risk factors for the development of osteonecrosis. Less frequently, osteonecrosis can also be induced by non-traumatic and traumatic causes. Non-traumatic osteonecrosis is brought on by infections, acquired and congenital disorders, as well as the impact of chemicals. Traumatic osteonecrosis is brought on by thermal, mechanical, or chemical damage. The treatment of osteonecrosis can be conservative, which aims to be beneficial for the patient's quality of life, and surgical, which involves debridement of the necrotic bone.

Reporting Criteria for Clinical Trials on Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ): A Review and Recommendations

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a complication caused by anti-resorptive agents and anti-angiogenesis drugs. Since we wanted to write a protocol for a randomized clinical trial (RCT), we reviewed the literature for the essential information needed to estimate the size of the active patient population and measure the effects of therapeutics. At the same time, we designed a questionnaire intended for clinicians to collect detailed information about their practices. Twelve essential criteria and seven additional items were identified and compiled from 43 selected articles. Some of these criteria were incorporated in the questionnaire coupled with data on clinical practices. Our review found extensive missing data and a lack of consensus. For example, the success rate often combined MRONJ stages, diseases, and drug treatments. The occurrence date and evaluation methods were not harmonized or quantitative enough. The primary and secondary endpoints, failure definition, and date coupled to bone measurements were not well established. This information is critical for writing a RCT protocol. With this review article, we aim to encourage authors to contribute all their findings in the field to bridge the current knowledge gap and provide a stronger database for the coming years.

Photobiomodulation therapy in management of cancer therapy-induced side effects: WALT position paper 2022

Disclaimer

This article is based on recommendations from the 12th WALT Congress, Nice, October 3-6, 2018, and a follow-up review of the existing data and the clinical observations of an international multidisciplinary panel of clinicians and researchers with expertise in the area of supportive care in cancer and/or PBM clinical application and dosimetry. This article is informational in nature. As with all clinical materials, this paper should be used with a clear understanding that continued research and practice could result in new insights and recommendations. The review reflects the collective opinion and, as such, does not necessarily represent the opinion of any individual author. In no event shall the authors be liable for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the proposed protocols.

Objective

This position paper reviews the potential prophylactic and therapeutic effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) on side effects of cancer therapy, including chemotherapy (CT), radiation therapy (RT), and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Background

There is a considerable body of evidence supporting the efficacy of PBM for preventing oral mucositis (OM) in patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancer (HNC), CT, or HSCT. This could enhance patients’ quality of life, adherence to the prescribed cancer therapy, and treatment outcomes while reducing the cost of cancer care.

Methods

A literature review on PBM effectiveness and dosimetry considerations for managing certain complications of cancer therapy were conducted. A systematic review was conducted when numerous randomized controlled trials were available. Results were presented and discussed at an international consensus meeting at the World Association of photobiomoduLation Therapy (WALT) meeting in 2018 that included world expert oncologists, radiation oncologists, oral oncologists, and oral medicine professionals, physicists, engineers, and oncology researchers. The potential mechanism of action of PBM and evidence of PBM efficacy through reported outcomes for individual indications were assessed.

Results

There is a large body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of PBM for preventing OM in certain cancer patient populations, as recently outlined by the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO). Building on these, the WALT group outlines evidence and prescribed PBM treatment parameters for prophylactic and therapeutic use in supportive care for radiodermatitis, dysphagia, xerostomia, dysgeusia, trismus, mucosal and bone necrosis, lymphedema, hand-foot syndrome, alopecia, oral and dermatologic chronic graft-versus-host disease, voice/speech alterations, peripheral neuropathy, and late fibrosis amongst cancer survivors.

Conclusions

There is robust evidence for using PBM to prevent and treat a broad range of complications in cancer care. Specific clinical practice guidelines or evidence-based expert consensus recommendations are provided. These recommendations are aimed at improving the clinical utilization of PBM therapy in supportive cancer care and promoting research in this field. It is anticipated these guidelines will be revised periodically.

Factors Exacerbating Clinical Symptoms and CT Findings in Patients with Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Receiving Conservative Therapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of 53 Cases

Recent reports have shown that better treatment outcomes are obtained with surgical therapy in patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) than with conservative therapy. However, conservative treatment is selected due to factors such as old age and poor general condition. Conservative therapy aims to relieve symptoms and prevent lesion exacerbation; however, the lesion may expand rapidly in some cases. This study investigated the clinical and imaging findings of 53 MRONJ patients undergoing conservative therapy, and the changes in the clinical findings and the lesion enlargement on CT imaging were examined. Improved clinical findings and no worsening of the imaging findings were considered overall comprehensive treatment successes. Among the 53 patients, the clinical symptoms disappeared or improved in 15 patients, whereas they worsened in 6. In contrast, osteolytic lesion enlargement occurred in 17 patients. The comprehensive treatment outcome of conservative therapy was successful in 12 patients and unsuccessful in 41 patients. The periosteal reaction was significantly correlated with poor comprehensive treatment outcomes (p = 0.038). MRONJ lesions may advance, even if they appear to improve clinically while undergoing conservative treatments. Patients, especially those with periosteal reactions, must be closely followed up with CT examinations, regardless of the clinical findings.

Surgical vs conservative treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw-A complex systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of surgical and conservative treatment approaches for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

STUDY DESIGN

Publications in Medline, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed (non-indexed articles) and by Health Technology Assessment organizations were searched. Quality of evidence in primary studies were assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and the level of bias in systematic reviews by a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (AMSTAR).

RESULTS

Quality assessment identified 3 primary studies with moderate GRADE score. Moderate risk of bias was found in 7 systematic reviews and low risk of bias in 3. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, where 62.1% healing was reported after surgical treatment (144 of 232 included patients) and 28.8% healing was reported after conservative treatment (38 of 132 included patients). Moderate heterogeneity was found among the included studies (P = .02). The overall odds ratio for resolution of osteonecrosis after surgical versus conservative treatment was 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.24-2.26) and was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Slightly better outcomes are reported after surgical treatment, in particular for advanced disease stages, but there is a lack of standardized treatment protocols and outcome measures. Overall, the quality of evidence is poor, and the majority of studies have a low evidence certainty rating and high risk of bias.

Treatment of Refractory Medicine Related Osteonecrosis of Jaw With Piezosurgical Debridement and Autologous Platelet Rich Fibrin: Feasibility Study

ABSTRACT

Medicine related osteonecrosis of jaw (MRONJ) is incidental in patients receiving certain bone modifying agents in oncology. These lesions may not respond to conservative management and aggravate. Autologous platelet derivatives contain bone growth factors, which help in bone regeneration. The aim of this pilot study is to develop protocol for treatment of refractory MRONJ with pizosurgical debridement and advanced platelet rich fibrin.In this feasibility study, refractory MRONJ lesions were treated by piezosurgical debridement and insertion of autologous advanced platelet rich fibrin in 15 patients. One patient had 2 lesion sites, so in all 16 MRONJ sites were treated. These patients were evaluated at the end of 1 month and 4 months for healing of MRONJ lesion. Statistical analysis was done by using Fisher test for response assessment in relation to variable. Eight lesions (50%) showed complete healing at the end of 1 month. At the end of 4 months 13 lesions (81.50%) were completely healed, 2 lesions (12.5%) were downgrades, and 1 lesion (6.25%) did not respond to treatment. Number of doses of bone modifying agent was only factor found associated with nonhealing of MRONJ when treated with this protocol.In this pilot study, feasibility of use of piezosurgical debridement and platelet rich fibrin was evaluated. The results of the study suggest complete healing can be achieved with this treatment protocol. Further research with increased sample size is warranted to determine optimum use of autologous platelet concentrates in treatment of MRONJ.

Therapeutic Approach in the Treatment of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: Case Series of 3 Patients and State of the Art on Surgical Strategies

BACKGROUND

Bisphosphonates and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand inhibitors are currently the most widely used antiresorptive therapies in bone metabolism diseases treatment. Unfortunately they can evoke medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. The present case series study proposes to evaluate clinical features, evolution and the surgical therapeutic approaches in three patients affected by medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw and to review the state of art regarding the management of this complication in light of the most recent literature.

METHODS

Three cases of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws are discussed, two related to bisphosphonates therapy (ibandronic acid) and one due to denosumab.

RESULTS

All three patients were aged female and had probably a dental trigger agent. The lesions located in posterior mandible were treated in one case with the surgical approach alone and, in the other case, with surgical approach associated with Erb-YAG laser. The lesion related to denosumab was treated with surgical approach and platelet rich fibrin application. A complete healing was always achieved.

CONCLUSIONS

Dentists should be aware of the potential risk of developing medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws for patients who take or had taken antiresorptive drugs. The side effects of denosumab and bisphosphonates are partly overlapping and currently there is still no consensus about the therapeutic surgical options. Prevention and early detection of the lesions should be the primary strategy.

Adjuvant therapies for MRONJ: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a severe adverse reaction caused by the use of antiresorptive antiangiogenic medication. Treating MRONJ is difficult and besides standard treatments, which are conservative medical and surgical approaches, there are some adjuvant therapies that might further stimulate healing. The aim of this systematic review is to compare outcome and effectiveness of currently available adjuvant therapies for MRONJ.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Articles focusing on mucosal healing in patients treated with an adjuvant therapy for MRONJ were selected and analysed. Inclusion was not limited to randomized controlled trials to present a complete review of the current literature.

RESULTS

A search was performed in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Thirty articles out of 3297 were included. Laser ablation had a success of 60-95% for complete healing. The controlled trials of leukocyte- and platelet-rich-fibrine (LPRF) showed 60-100% success for the same outcome. Fluorescence guided surgery had a complete healing percentage of 85-90%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that laser ablation, LPRF and fluorescence guided surgery might have a potential in improving the healing process. Interpreting the results should however be done with great care and a critical point of view, as most articles had a medium to high risk of bias. More randomized controlled trials are necessary to define the most beneficial therapy protocols.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

It seems that adjuvant surgical therapies for treating MRONJ are beneficial for mucosal healing, but there is only low scientific evidence.

Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the possible risk factors related to pathophysiology of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) and identify adequate treatment strategies available and success rates.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We performed a search for publications about the treatment of BRONJ, published between 2003 and 2018 in the PubMed/Medline data base using the key words: "Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw" OR "Bisphosphonate Osteonecrosis" OR "BRONJ", based on the list of MeSH and DeCS.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

According to pre-established criteria for data collection concerning the treatment of BRONJ, we found 19 articles covering a total of 400 patients. Treatments that showed good outcomes were Ozone, PRF, PRP/Debridement/Laser bio-stimulation, Laser surgery and Laser surgery/Laser bio-stimulation. HBO did not achieve good results and was used in only 10 patients. BRONJ is a rare condition in patients with osteoporosis/other pathologies using BP orally. These patients had long exposure time and cumulative doses of BPs until onset of the lesion. The oncological patients were exposed to more potent intravenously administered BPs such as pamidronate and zoledronate. These patients had a shorter exposure time until onset of the lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment of BRONJ is still under debate and there are promising treatments that need randomized trials with larger numbers of patients to confirm their results. Patients receiving BPs or those who will start treatment should be encouraged to perform preventive dental treatment and maintain good oral hygiene.

Laser surgery in management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of laser therapy on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) treatment.

METHODS

This study followed PRISMA standards, and an electronic search was performed on the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Eighty-nine articles were found. After reading the manuscripts, 15 articles remained for the review. Three of them were selected for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Female gender was predominant (72.5%), and mean age was 66.5 years. Follow-up varied between 3 and 80 months, and the most used bisphosphonate was zoledronic acid (71.6%). Stage II of MRONJ was the most prevalent (68.9%), and the mandible was the most affected site (64.5%). Qualitative data showed that treatment with laser surgery (Er:YAG) was most effective regarding complete healing of the lesion (90%) compared with other treatments. Meta-analysis data showed that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was more effective than medical treatment (P = 0.006), and surgical treatment was more effective than LLLT (P = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Laser surgery was significantly superior to LLLT (p < 0.00001). Therefore, laser surgical therapy seems to be a great management strategy for MRONJ treatment from stage II. LLLT was shown to improve conservative management in earlier MRONJ stages.

Effect of low-level laser therapy on tissue repair after dental extraction in rats administered zoledronic acid and dexamethasone

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are being increasingly used for the treatment of metabolic and oncological pathologies involving the skeletal system. Because of the severity of the BP associated osteonecrosis of the jaws, the difficulties of treatment, and patient discomfort, additional support methods for their management are needed. Laser therapy has an easy handling, photobiostimulator effect on tissues healing, so it can be considered a preferred therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of low-level laser therapy in the 685- and 830-nm wavelength in the healing process of the bone and soft tissues in rats under BP therapy [zoledronic acid (ZA)] and dexamethasone concomitantly that underwent a surgery for the extraction of upper molars. There were statistically significant differences in the clinical evaluation of the wound and the weight of the animals. Regarding the histological evaluation, it was possible to observe the different maturations of the healing stage between groups. The effect of drug therapy with ZA and dexamethasone in the bone tissue repair process induces osteonecrosis of the jaw in rats and slows down the healing process. In the laser groups, at the stipulated dosimetry, a positive influence on the bone and soft tissue repair process was observed.

Periodontal and peri-implant wound healing following laser therapy

Laser irradiation has numerous favorable characteristics, such as ablation or vaporization, hemostasis, biostimulation (photobiomodulation) and microbial inhibition and destruction, which induce various beneficial therapeutic effects and biological responses. Therefore, the use of lasers is considered effective and suitable for treating a variety of inflammatory and infectious oral conditions. The CO2 , neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) and diode lasers have mainly been used for periodontal soft-tissue management. With development of the erbium-doped yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Er:YAG) and erbium, chromium-doped yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) lasers, which can be applied not only on soft tissues but also on dental hard tissues, the application of lasers dramatically expanded from periodontal soft-tissue management to hard-tissue treatment. Currently, various periodontal tissues (such as gingiva, tooth roots and bone tissue), as well as titanium implant surfaces, can be treated with lasers, and a variety of dental laser systems are being employed for the management of periodontal and peri-implant diseases. In periodontics, mechanical therapy has conventionally been the mainstream of treatment; however, complete bacterial eradication and/or optimal wound healing may not be necessarily achieved with conventional mechanical therapy alone. Consequently, in addition to chemotherapy consisting of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, phototherapy using lasers and light-emitting diodes has been gradually integrated with mechanical therapy to enhance subsequent wound healing by achieving thorough debridement, decontamination and tissue stimulation. With increasing evidence of benefits, therapies with low- and high-level lasers play an important role in wound healing/tissue regeneration in the treatment of periodontal and peri-implant diseases. This article discusses the outcomes of laser therapy in soft-tissue management, periodontal nonsurgical and surgical treatment, osseous surgery and peri-implant treatment, focusing on postoperative wound healing of periodontal and peri-implant tissues, based on scientific evidence from currently available basic and clinical studies, as well as on case reports.

Analysis of different therapeutic protocols for osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with oral and intravenous bisphosphonates

Introduction

Chemotherapy-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw caused by bisphosphonates is an exposure of necrotic bone with more than eight weeks of evolution that is attributable to bisphosphonates and no prior radiation therapy. Its etiopathogenesis remains unknown, although there are two hypotheses that may explain it: the drug’s mechanism of action, and the risk factors that can lead to osteonecrosis. There is a wide range of treatment options for managing chemotherapy-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw, from conservative treatments to surgical procedures of varying levels of invasiveness, which are sometimes supplemented with adjuvant therapies.

Objectives

The objective of this article is to group the therapeutic options for osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) into seven different protocols and to evaluate their effectiveness in relation to stage of ONJ.

Material and Methods

A literature review was carried out in PubMed following the PRISMA criteria. A total of 47 were collected after compiling a series of variables that define ONJ, applied treatments, and the clinical results obtained.

Results and Discussion

The 47 articles selected have a low to average estimated risk of bias and are of moderate to good quality. According to the data obtained, Protocol 3 (conservative treatment, clinical and radiological follow-up, minimally invasive surgical treatment, and adjuvant therapies) is the most favorable approach for ONJ lesions caused by oral bisphosphonates. For lesions caused by intravenous bisphosphonates, Protocol 2 (conservative treatment, clinical and radiological follow-up, minimally invasive surgical treatment, and no adjuvant therapies) is the best approach. When comparing the different stages of ONJ, Protocol 1 (conservative treatment, clinical and radiological follow-up) promotes better healing of Stage 1 ONJ lesions caused by orally administered bisphosphonates, and Protocol 3 is recommended for Stage II. For ONJ lesions attributable to intravenous bisphosphonates, Protocol 7 (conservative treatment, clinical and radiological follow-up, and adjuvant therapies) provides the best results in Stage 0; in Stages I, II, and III, Protocol 1 gives better results.

Key words:Bisphosphonates, bronj, therapeutic protocol, clinical result.

Case-Based Review of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) and Application of the International Recommendations for Management From the International Task Force on ONJ

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been associated with antiresorptive therapy in both oncology and osteoporosis patients. This debilitating condition is very rare and advances in diagnosis and management may now effectively reduce the risk of its development and offer valuable treatment options for affected patients. This paper provides a case-based review of ONJ and application of the International Task Force on ONJ (referred to as the "Task Force") recommendations for the diagnosis and management of ONJ. The Task Force was supported by 14 international societies and achieved consensus from representatives of these multidisciplinary societies on key issues pertaining to the diagnosis and management of ONJ. The frequency of ONJ in oncology patients receiving oncology doses of bisphosphonate (BP) or denosumab is estimated at 1%-15%, and the frequency in the osteoporosis patient population receiving much lower doses of BP or denosumab is estimated at 0.001%-0.01%. Although the diagnosis of ONJ is primarily clinical, imaging may be helpful in confirming the diagnosis and staging. In those with multiple risk factors for ONJ for whom major invasive oral surgery is being planned, interruption of BP or denosumab therapy (in cancer patients) is advised, if possible, before surgery, until the surgical site heals. Major oral surgery in this context could include multiple extractions if surgical extractions are required, not simple forceps extractions. ONJ development may be reduced by optimizing oral hygiene and postoperatively using topical and systemic antibiotics as appropriate. Periodontal disease should be managed before starting oncology doses of BP or denosumab. Local debridement may be successful in disease unresponsive to conservative therapy. Successful surgical intervention has been reported in those with stage 3 disease; less severe disease is best managed conservatively. Teriparatide may be helpful in healing ONJ lesions and may be considered in osteoporosis patients at a high fracture risk in the absence of contraindications. Resumption of BP or denosumab therapy following healing of ONJ lesions is recommended, and there have not been reports of subsequent local recurrence.

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: An Autofluorescence-Guided Surgical Approach Performed with Er:YAG Laser

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to propose an autofluorescence (AF)-guided surgical approach performed with Er:YAG laser and Nd:YAG low-level laser therapy (LLLT).

BACKGROUND DATA

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) therapy remains an unresolved problem. The proposed conservative and surgical treatment regimens are associated with contradictory success rates. However, the increased experience with MRONJ management suggests that surgical therapy can halt disease progression, and can allow a histology-based diagnosis of osteonecrosis. Surgical approach with Er:YAG laser is associated with significantly better results compared with medical treatment and traditional surgical approaches. One of the difficulties encountered during surgical removal of a MRONJ is the precise individuation of necrotic bone margins.

PATIENT AND METHODS

A case of Stage III maxillary osteonecrosis treated with a new surgical approach is presented.

RESULTS

After 7 months of follow-up, complete mucosal healing was evident, and the patient was free of symptoms. Such a technique allowed a highly accurate and minimally invasive approach through the selective ablation of the non-/hypofluorescent areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Taking into account the advantages of laser therapy and the possible effectiveness of AF in highlighting surgical margins, this approach would probably achieve excellent outcomes.

Management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: a literature review

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a serious side effect of bisphosphonate use in patients with osteoporosis, Paget's disease, hypercalcemia of malignancy, metastatic bone disease and multiple myeloma, although recently this complication has also been reported in patients under non-bisphosphonate medication, such as denosumab and bevacizumab. The occurrence of ONJ is higher in oncology patients treated with high-dose iv bisphosphonates than in osteoporosis patients treated with oral bisphosphonates. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed, the exact pathogenic mechanism of ONJ still remains unclear. As treatment protocols based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) do not exist, we critically reviewed the existing data concerning the management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, including the most recent data for the use of teriparatide and hyperbaric oxygen.

Effects of low-level laser therapy on the proliferation and apoptosis of gingival fibroblasts treated with zoledronic acid

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been indicated as an adjuvant therapy for bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis. However, the effects of LLLT on bisphosphonate-treated cells are not yet clear. This study evaluated the effects of LLLT on the proliferation and apoptosis of gingival fibroblasts treated with zoledronic acid (ZA). Cells were exposed to ZA at 5μM for 48h. Irradiation was performed using a laser diode prototype (LaserTABLE, InGaAsP; 780nm±3nm, 25mW) at 0.5 or 3J/cm(2), three times every 24h. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test at the 5% level of significance. ZA decreased cell proliferation to 47.62% (interquartile range (IQR) 23.80-57.14%; P=0.007) and increased apoptosis of gingival fibroblasts to 27.7% (IQR 20.9-33.4%; P=0.0001). LLLT increased cell proliferation compared with non-irradiated cells, at 0.5J/cm(2) (57.14%, IQR 57.14-71.43%; P=0.003) and at 3J/cm(2) (76.19%, IQR 61.90-76.19%; P=0.0001), but did not increase cell proliferation in ZA-treated cells. Irradiated fibroblasts presented lower apoptosis rates than the ZA-treated cells, but apoptosis was no different in ZA-treated cells compared to those that were ZA-treated and also irradiated.

Conservative surgical management of stage I bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

Purpose. To report the efficacy of conservative surgical treatment for stage I bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). Materials and Methods. This study reports the clinical outcomes of 63 patients treated for BRONJ stage I (according to Ruggiero's staging system) at the Oral Pathology and Laser-Assisted Surgery Unit of the University of Parma between January 2004 and January 2011. Surgical interventions were performed, under local analgesia, in patients unresponsive for a period of six months to noninvasive treatments such as cycles of local or systemic antibacterial therapy combined or not to low level laser therapy, ozone therapy, or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. All interventions were performed after the consultation of oncologist or physician. Results. In our experience, conservative surgical treatment is associated with the highest number of BRONJ healed sites in stage I disease. Complete healing was observed in 92.6% of sites surgically treated. Conclusions. This study confirms that treatment of patients affected by minimal bone exposition, (stage I of BRONJ), through conservative surgical strategies, possibly with laser, may result in a high control of the disease in the long term.

Surgical Approach and Laser Applications in BRONJ Osteoporotic and Cancer Patients

Bisphosphonates-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) has been reported with increasing frequency in literature over last years, but its therapy is still a dilemma. One hundred ninety patients affected by BRONJ were observed between January 2004 and November 2011 and 166 treated sites were subdivided in five groups on the basis of the therapeutical approach (medical or surgical, traditional or laser-assisted approach, with or without Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)). Clinical success has been defined for each treatment performed as clinical improvement or complete mucosal healing. Combination of antibiotic therapy, conservative surgery performed with Er:YAG laser and LLLT applications showed best results for cancer and noncancer patients. Nonsurgical approach performed on 69 sites induced an improvement in 35 sites (50.7%) and the complete healing in 19 sites (27.5%), while surgical approach on 97 sites induced an improvement in 84 sites (86.6%) and the complete healing in 78 sites (80.41%). Improvement and healing were recorded in 31 (81.5%) and 27 (71.5%) out of the 38 BRONJ sites treated in noncancer patients and in 88 (68.75%) and in 69 (53.9%) out of the 128 in cancer patients.

Early surgical laser-assisted management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ): a retrospective analysis of 101 treated sites with long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND DATA

The management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) is still controversial.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare surgical and nonsurgical approaches to the treatment of BRONJ and the possible usefulness of Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-eight patients (33 males, 95 females; 52 with diagnosis of multiple myeloma, 53 with diagnosis of bone metastasis, and 23 with diagnosis of osteoporosis) affected by BRONJ were evaluated at the Unit of Oral Pathology and Medicine and Laser-Assisted Surgery of the University of Parma, Italy, between January 2004 and July 2009. Overall number of BRONJ sites was 151, and number of treated sites was 101. In order to assess the efficacy of different treatments, sites were subclassified as follows: Group 1 (G1): 12 sites treated with medical therapy; Group 2 (G2): 27 sites treated with medical therapy associated with low level laser therapy (LLLT); Group 3 (G3): 17 sites treated with a combination of medical and surgical therapy; Group 4 (G4): 45 sites treated with a combination of medical therapy, surgical (including laser-assisted) therapy, and LLLT. Outcome of treatment was assessed using the staging system proposed by Ruggiero et al. Transition from a higher stage to a lower one for at least 6 months was considered as clinical improvement and suggestive of a successful treatment.

RESULTS

Clinical improvement was achieved in 3 out of 12 (25%) BRONJ sites in G1. Sites if G2 with an improvement were 18 out of 27 (66%). Nine out 17 BRONJ sites (53%) in G3 had a transition to a lower stage after treatment. For sites in G4, a clinical improvement was recorded in 40 out of 45 cases (89%).

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, the percentage of success obtained with a combined approach based on medical therapy, surgical (including laser-assisted) therapy, and LLLT (G4) is significantly higher than the percentage of improvement obtained in G1, G2, and G3.

Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws: surgical treatment with ErCrYSGG-laser. Case report

Bisphosphonates (BP) play an important role in concomitant therapy of certain types of cancer and multiple myeloma as well as in treatment of osteoporosis. The administration of BP has great therapeutic benefits, but correlates with a specific kind of osteonecrosis of the alveolar bone. The so-called bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) is a rare, but often severe adverse side effect of high-dosage and long-term BP therapy. Thus far, no consensus for treatment of BRONJ has been achieved. All strategies have to take into account the insecure prognosis and danger of recurrence of clinically apparent necrosis and progression of disease. At the Department of Oral Surgery and Radiology, Medical University of Graz, an ErCrYSGG laser was successfully applied in surgical treatment of BRONJ. Stable mucosal coverage could be achieved in all of 5 cases. Laser surgery can be considered as a promising technique for the effective treatment of BRONJ.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw and bisphosphonates in cancer: a narrative review

Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis (BON) is a complication that almost exclusively affects the jaw bones. The clinical presentation of BON often mimics that of other conditions, such as routine dental disease, osteoradionecrosis or avascular necrosis; therefore, diagnosis can be difficult. As this complication has only been recognized within the past 10 years, management strategies for patients with BON are poorly defined. Physicians must choose between continuing the bisphosphonate therapy (to reduce the risk of skeletal complications in patients with metastatic bone disease or osteoporosis) and discontinuing the drug (to possibly improve the odds for tissue healing). A conservative or aggressive management strategy must be chosen with limited evidence that the outcome of either strategy will be successful. BON is most prevalent in patients with cancer using intravenous nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates. The pathobiology of this complication is not fully understood and the diagnosis relies on the clinical manifestations of the condition. Future research should focus on the pathobiological mechanisms involved in the development of BON, which could help explain why this complication affects only a small number of those who use bisphosphonates, and also suggest strategies for prevention and management.

Low-level laser therapy supported teeth extractions of two patients receiving IV zolendronate

BRONJ (bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of jaws) is a frequently encountered disease, particularly in the maxillofacial region, and a consequence of bisphosphonate use. Treatment of BRONJ remains controversial, as efficiency of medical and surgical approaches as well as a combination of these methods with supportive treatments have not been clearly demonstrated in the literature. In recent years, laser usage alone or in combination with the main therapy methods, has become popular for the treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteo-necrosis of jaws. In this article, we present the successful management of two dental patients who had high potentials for BRONJ development as a result of chemo and radiotherapy combined with IV zoledronic acid application. Multiple consecutive teeth extractions followed with primary wound closure and LLLT applications were performed under high doses of antibiotics prophylaxis. Satisfactory wound healing in both the surrounding soft and hard tissues was achieved. LLLT application combined with atraumatic surgical interventions under antibiotics prophylaxis is a preferable approach in patients with a risk of BRONJ development. Adjunctive effect of LLLT in addition to careful infection control on preventing BRONJ was reported and concluded.