What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a review to summarize the current understanding of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaws, including its pathobiology, clinical impact, and management.
What They Found
They found that early pre-irradiation dental assessment and hyperbaric oxygen treatment for dental surgery in irradiated fields help prevent ORN. For treatment, conservative therapy achieved an approximate 50% cure rate for limited ORN, while surgical approaches had about a 40% cure rate when conservative methods failed.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing head and neck radiation should receive a thorough dental assessment before treatment to reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis. If ORN develops, conservative therapies offer a 50% cure rate for limited cases, with surgery as an alternative.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation is the lack of confirmed data on whether modern radiation schedules alter the risk of osteoradionecrosis compared to conventional treatments.