Relevant factors for treatment outcome and time to healing in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws - A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) are well known, although few studies evaluate the factors that influence treatment outcomes in MRONJ and whether discontinuing antiresorptive medication influences healing. PURPOSE: (1) Describe the characteristics of a population of patients with MRONJ. (2) Identify the factors associated with favourable outcomes. (3) Identify a temporal correlation between discontinuation of antiresorptives and healing time. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was carried out, including 77 patients with MRONJ treated between 2004 and 2016. Primary outcome was defined as healed/improved vs. worse/stable. Time to healing was set as the secondary outcome. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Primary disease, route of administration, lesion location, and development of complications influenced the outcome of treatment. Significant differences in outcomes according to primary disease (p < 0.05) were found when staging, gender, and lesion location were held constant. Time to healing was longer for patients who discontinued medication more than 3 months after diagnosis than for those who discontinued at diagnosis or before - respectively, 36, 9, and 7 months (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of MRONJ treatment may be influenced by primary disease and route of administration of antiresorptives. Antiresorptive medication discontinuation contributes to reduce healing time in MRONJ.

Anatomic factors related to bisphosphonate osteonecrosis of the jaws: a Portuguese retrospective study.

AIMS: The objectives of this study of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) were to determine local distribution, possible anatomically associated or determinant factors and other bone involvement of the disease, contributing with this new data towards the establishment of its prevalence in Portugal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors made a retrospective study of patients presenting BRONJ, at the Department of Stomatology of Santa Maria University Hospital, in Lisbon (42 cases) from 1st January 2004, to April 30rd, 2011. SPSS Statistics was implemented. RESULTS: There was a higher prevalence of lesions in the lower jaw (66.7%), compared to the upper jaw (26.19%) and a significantly higher occurrence in alveolar bone (95.24%). The molars and premolars were the most affected areas (highest value at 6th sextant = 35.29%). In all cases, the onset of injury occurred after a medication period of up to 90 days, spontaneously in 14.29% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: For severity, BRONJ was a significant anatomoclinical entity in all 42 new cases in this study, and for discomfort (pain) in 81.1% of them. There was an anatomic correlation between the occurrence of the disease and its location in the jaws. There was a clinical association with trauma and type, route and length of administration of the bisphosphonate, with Zoledronate being administered intravenously in 76.19% of the cases. The jaws were the unique place where the disease occurred. Preventive measures should be implemented, avoiding trauma, and performing surgical procedures within 90 days after prescription.