Combined approach to treatment of advanced stages of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw patients

Clinical Performance of Implant-Supported Prostheses in the Rehabilitation of Patients Previously Treated for Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ): A Systematic Review

There is a lack of consensus on managing resultant bone and soft tissue defects or on restoring oral function and aesthetics following medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) lesion healing. This clinical challenge presents a dilemma for practitioners. Removable prostheses pose a recurrence risk if poorly fitted and may inadequately restore function or aesthetics in cases of significant bone defect. Dental implant-supported prostheses could enhance function and quality of life, though their risks and indications are not well-defined. This systematic review examines the clinical outcomes and complications associated with implant-supported rehabilitations post-MRONJ surgery. This study was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement recommendations and it was pre-registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42023492539).

The effectiveness of autologous platelet concentrates in prevention and treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: A systematic review

The systematic review aims to answer the PICOS question: "Are the autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) an effective strategy in prevention and/or treatment of patients at risk of/affected by medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ)?". A literature search was conducted via PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL (January 2006 - September 2023). 30 articles were included, evaluating preventive (n = 8*) and treatment strategies (n = 23*). The risk of bias and quality of studies were assessed utilising ROB-2, ROBIN-1 and GRADE criteria. Meta-analysis was undertaken for eligible studies. The application of APCs demonstrated a statistically significant effectiveness in prevention of MRONJ in 86.13% (p < 0.001) but failed to achieve the same level of certainty in treatment of established MRONJ in 83.4% (p = 0.08). High levels of bias were identified; thus, the results should be interpreted with caution. More high quality prospective randomised controlled trials are needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of APCs in management of MRONJ.

A Narrative Review of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: What a Clinician Should Know

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an uncommon complication of antiresorptive therapy (ART) in patients receiving higher and more frequent doses of osteoclast inhibitors. The jaws are the most common site, as they have high bone turnover. The oral structures are exposed to various types of stresses, like mastication and dental diseases, which lead to microtrauma and increased bone remodeling. The hallmark feature of MRONJ is the area of exposed, necrotic, nonhealing, asymptomatic bone for more than eight weeks. Objective signs are pain in the jaw and oral cavity, loose teeth, gingival swelling, ulceration, soft tissue infection, and paresthesia in the trigeminal nerve branches' territory. Clinically, the MRONJ has been defined in four stages, from stage 0 to stage 3. Close coordination between the dentist and oncologist is critical for optimal treatment. Conservative management should be preferred over surgical management. There is significant underreporting and misdiagnosis of MRONJ cases in regular clinical practice. There needs to be more awareness among treating physicians about this sporadic complication of bisphosphonate therapy. This narrative review has given a detailed insight into the subject, starting with etiology, pathogenesis, incidence, clinical presentation, workup, staging, and various management strategies. The review article focuses mainly on practical aspects of MRONJ, which every clinician dealing with the disease must know. With a better awareness of this potential complication, healthcare practitioners dealing with at-risk patients can better diagnose, prevent, address, and provide necessary care.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: a Systematic Review

Objectives

The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the current knowledge on the effectiveness of conservative and surgical treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Material and Methods

MEDLINE (PubMed), ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library search in combination with hand-search of relevant journals was conducted including human studies published in English between January 2017 and February 2023. Studies assessing treatment strategies for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) were included. Quality and risk-of-bias assessment were evaluated by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Risk of Bias tool.

Results

A total of 4227 articles were screened from which 9 studies (7 cohort studies and 2 randomized controlled trials) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final data synthesis. Two studies evaluate effectiveness of conservative approaches for treating MRONJ, 5 studies evaluate surgical approaches effectiveness, and 2 studies compare between those approaches. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 60 months. According to bias assessment, the mean JDI score of the included studies was > 9 ("low risk of bias"). The stage of the disease, the procedure performed on the patient and the results of the treatment were presented.

Conclusions

Surgical therapy seems to be superior to conservative therapy for the management of adverse stages medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws, while conservative treatment appears to yield good outcomes at asymptomatic patients with early stages of the disease.

Efficacy of fibrin-rich platelets and leukocytes (L-PRF) in tissue repair in surgical oral procedures in patients using zoledronic acid-case-control study

INTRODUCTION

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) is a complication that develops in patients who use or have used antiresorptive or antiangiogenic medications for the treatment of bone metabolic disease and bone metastases. Clinically, MRONJ is characterized by the appearance of an inflammation in soft tissues and exposure of necrotic bone tissue in mandible or maxilla, for a period of 8 weeks, in patients with no history of head and neck radiotherapy that were being or are being treated with antiresorptive and/or antiangiogenic agents. The fibrin-rich platelets and leukocytes (L-PRF) membrane has been used as an alternative for MRONJ prevention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of L-PRF in prevention and treatment of bone necrosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The patients included had MRONJ diagnosis confirmed after clinical and radiographic examination and patients whose only therapeutic option was dental extraction.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were included in the study and were divided in three groups. Two patients were removed from the study due to previous history of pentoxifylline and tocopherol use. The result of surgical treatment was successful in 57% in group 1 (control/MRONJ prevention), 100% in group 2 (MRONJ prevention), and 80% in group 3 (MRONJ treatment).

CONCLUSION

L-PRF is an autologous biomaterial that allows the release of growth factors for a prolonged time, resulting in a better healing, reducing the risk contamination, edema, and postoperative pain, being a great ally in the prevention and treatment of MRONJ because it returns to these patients, mainly quality of life, reducing pain, and recurrent infections commonly seen in the processes of bone necrosis of the jaws.

Laser Devices and Autologous Platelet Concentrates in Prevention and Treatment of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) is a disease that affects many patients taking anti-angiogenic and antiresorptive medicines. Since the pathogenetic mechanism is still partially unknown, preventive strategies, as well as treatment alternatives, are needed. Therefore, the aim of this research is to describe the main evidence from the last 10 years of clinical trials regarding the use of auxiliary devices such as autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) and laser, other than their effects against MRONJ disease onset or therapy. Advantages in the healing process and recurrence rates were also analyzed. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the electronic databases of PubMed and Scopus was carried out. Data from the studies were analyzed, and the risk of bias was evaluated. Results: Nineteen studies between interventional studies, observational studies, and cohort studies have been considered in this review. Conclusions: Based on the studies included, the literature analysis shows that APCs could be a beneficial alternative in preventing and treating MRONJ. Laser technology, as a surgical tool or used on the antimicrobial photodynamic or photobiomodulation side, has been becoming increasingly popular in the last few years. The latest proposal concerning the combination of both auxiliary tools suggests interesting effects, but more studies should be conducted to evaluate eventual relapses and long-term consequences.

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis: Why the Jawbone?

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) has emerged as a complication of anti-resorptive medications. Despite its low incidence rate, this problem has gained attention in recent years due to its devastating consequences and lack of preventive strategy. The fact that MRONJ incidence has been exclusive to the jawbones, despite the systemic effect of anti-resorptive medications, could be a starting point to unravel the multifactorial pathogenesis of this condition. This review aims to negotiate the question of why the jawbone is more susceptible to MRONJ than other skeletal sites. Approaching the problem from this perspective could provide new directions for the prevention of MRONJ and expand our understanding of the unique oral microenvironment.

The combined use of photobiomodulation therapy and platelet-rich fibrin for the management of two MRONJ stage II cases: An alternative approach

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) is a relatively rare but serious adverse drug reaction in patients under bone-targeting or antiangiogenic medication for malignant or osteometabolic diseases. The pathogenesis of MRONJ is multifactorial with the inhibition of osteoclasts and angiogenesis considered to play a keyrole in an individually susceptible environment, thus its prevalence is highly differentiated according to each study. Even though MRONJ has been reported since 2003 and the literature is expanding rapidly about possible risk factors, prevention and treatment options, the successful management with no recurrence is still under controversy. The conservative non-surgical (optimal oral hygiene, systemic antibiotic therapy) and surgical procedures (debridement, sequestrectomy or bone resection) are considered the treatment of choice especially at the early stages. Adjuvant therapies have been proposed to further stimulate bone and tissue healing such as teriparatide, bone morphogenic proteins, platelet concentrates, hyperbaric oxygen, ozone therapy, photodynamic therapy and lasers with promising results. The need to develop minimally invasive treatment protocols using novel technologies in particular for those patients with severe medical history has been highlighted in the literature. The clinical protocol that has been developed in our dental department, which is effectively contributing to MRONJ management and associates Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) with platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF), will be presented in this article.

Application of Fibrin Associated with Photobiomodulation as a Promising Strategy to Improve Regeneration in Tissue Engineering: A Systematic Review

Fibrin, derived from proteins involved in blood clotting (fibrinogen and thrombin), is a biopolymer with different applications in the health area since it has hemostasis, biocompatible and three-dimensional physical structure properties, and can be used as scaffolds in tissue regeneration or drug delivery system for cells and/or growth factors. Fibrin alone or together with other biomaterials, has been indicated for use as a biological support to promote the regeneration of stem cells, bone, peripheral nerves, and other injured tissues. In its diversity of forms of application and constitution, there are platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF), fibrin glue or fibrin sealant, and hydrogels. In order to increase fibrin properties, adjuvant therapies can be combined to favor tissue repair, such as photobiomodulation (PBM), by low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or LEDs (Light Emitting Diode). Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the relationship between PBM and the use of fibrin compounds, referring to the results of previous studies published in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The descriptors “fibrin AND low-level laser therapy” and “fibrin AND photobiomodulation” were used, without restriction on publication time. The bibliographic search found 44 articles in PubMed/MEDLINE, of which 26 were excluded due to duplicity or being outside the eligibility criteria. We also found 40 articles in Web of Science and selected 1 article, 152 articles in Scopus and no article selected, totaling 19 articles for qualitative analysis. The fibrin type most used in combination with PBM was fibrin sealant, mainly heterologous, followed by PRF or L-PRF. In PBM, the gallium-aluminum-arsenide (GaAlAs) laser prevailed, with a wavelength of 830 nm, followed by 810 nm. Among the preclinical studies, the most researched association of fibrin and PBM was the use of fibrin sealants in bone or nerve injuries; in clinical studies, the association of PBM with medication-related treatments osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Therefore, there is scientific evidence of the contribution of PBM on fibrin composites, constituting a supporting therapy that acts by stimulating cell activity, angiogenesis, osteoblast activation, axonal growth, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema action, increased collagen synthesis and its maturation, as well as biomolecules.