Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a condition that manifests as exposed, necrotic and non-healing jaw bone in patients who have been treated with bisphosphonates, denosumab, chemotherapeutic agents, anti-angiogenic drugs, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, thalidomide and steroids.1-4 These medications are administered via intravenous, subcutaneous and oral routes to manage osteopenia; osteoporosis; hypercalcemia of malignancy; bone…
SAN DIEGO—At the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8, experts discussed improving bone health in the U.S., gave tips on bone health disorders in pediatrics and reviewed new translational science findings for joint conservation in early osteonecrosis. E. Michael Lewiecki, MD, director of the New Mexico Clinical Research & Osteoporosis Center in Albuquerque, N.M., called…
Denosumab’s labeling now says a patient’s risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw may increase with prolonged exposure…
Prior to the widespread use of bisphosphonates for the management of osteoporosis, multiple myeloma and metastatic cancer to the skeletal system, osteonecrosis of the jawbones was an infrequent condition seen after radiation for oral cancers (osteoradionecrosis) and in chronic odontogenic infections.1 Since the mid-2000s, osteonecrosis of the jawbones has been noted to occur as a…
Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a condition in which an area of jawbone is not covered by the gums that has lasted for more than eight weeks. ONJ occurs when a facial bone begins to starve from a permanent or temporary lack of blood. As the name indicates—with osteo meaning bone and necrosis meaning death—the bone begins to die, causing pain and deterioration.
Osteonecrosis, also called avascular necrosis or aseptic necrosis, is a condition in which the death of bone cells (due to decreased blood flow) can lead to pain and collapse of areas of bone. This collapse of bone, in turn, can lead to degenerative arthritis of nearby joints, most commonly the hips and knees. Less frequently affected are the shoulders, hands, and feet. In rare instances, osteonecrosis can occur in the jaw— resulting in pain and mouth ulceration. Osteonecrosis is not fatal, but can lead to pain, arthritis, problems with physical activity, and even the need for joint replacement. Most of the 10,000 to 20,000 Americans developing osteonecrosis annually are between age 20 and 50. These individuals usually have a history of serious trauma, corticosteroid use, excess alcohol intake, or other conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus, dysbarism (“the bends” that occur with scuba diving), blood disorders, HIV infection, and radiation therapy.