BISPHOSPHONATE RELATED JAW OSTEONECROSIS

Course overview

BISPHOSPHONATES ARE SYNTHETIC PYROPHOSPHATE ANALOGS USED TO TREAT HYPERCALCEMIA SECONDARY TO CONDITIONS AFFECTING BONE RESORPTION SUCH AS MALIGNANCY, OSTEOPOROSIS, MULTIPLE MYELOMA, PAGET DISEASE, OSTEOSCLEROSIS, AND FIBROUS DYSPLASIA. INFREQUENT SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH BISPHOSPHONATE USE INCLUDE PYREXIA, RENAL FUNCTION IMPAIRMENT, HYPOCALCEMIA, AND, MORE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED, AVASCULAR OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAW. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, BISPHOSPHONATE-RELATED JAW OSTEONECROSIS IS DESCRIBED AS EXPOSED BONE IN THE MAXILLOFACIAL REGION THAT DOES NOT HEAL WITHIN 8 WEEKS OF BEING IDENTIFIED BY A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN A PATIENT THAT IS CURRENTLY OR HAS BEEN ON BISPHOSPHONATES WHO DOES NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF RADIATION THERAPY IN THE CRANIOFACIAL REGION. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BISPHOSPHONATE-RELATED JAW OSTEONECROSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.