Osteoradionecrosis of the Mandible: Treatment Outcomes and Factors Influencing the Progress of Osteoradionecrosis

Oh, Hee-Kyun; Chambers, Mark S.; Martin, Jack W.; Lim, Hoi-Jeong; Park, Hong-Ju

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2009.02.008

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 67, Issue 7 , Pages 1378-1386, July 2009

Osteoradionecrosis of the Mandible: Treatment Outcomes and Factors Influencing the Progress of Osteoradionecrosis

Hee-Kyun Oh, MS, PhD
- Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
Mark S. Chambers, DMD, MS
- Professor, Oncologic Dentistry and Prosthodontics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Jack W. Martin, DDS, MS
- Professor, Oncologic Dentistry and Prosthodontics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Hoi-Jeong Lim, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Statistics, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
Hong-Ju Park, MS, PhD
- Chairman and Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Park: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21, Chonnam National University, 5, Hakdong, Donggu, Gwangju, 501-757, Republic of Korea

Purpose

The present study was undertaken to evaluate our recent experience with mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and to identify factors that contribute to its progress.

Patients and Methods

The medical records of 114 patients who had been treated for ORN during a 16-year period (1989 to 2004) were reviewed. The patients were then divided into 2 groups according to their response to conservative treatment. Group 1 consisted of patients whose ORN resolved with conservative treatment (n = 47). Group 2 consisted of patients whose ORN was unresolved with conservative treatment or who had required radical resection of the involved tissue (n = 67). The information was obtained from the medical records of the patients and analyzed.

Results

The patients whose ORN was associated with an early-stage tumor or preirradiation extraction had a favorable response to conservative treatment. However, those who had an advanced primary tumor, had continued smoking and drinking after radiotherapy, had received palliative radiotherapy or a radiation dose of more than 6,000 rads, and who had an orocutaneous fistula, a pathologic fracture, swelling, or trismus had a poor response to conservative treatment. In these latter cases, radical resection of the involved tissue proved useful.

Conclusions

The results of the present study have indicated that several factors (ie, the stage of the primary tumor, signs of ORN) can influence the progress of ORN. Our results suggest that radical resection is a useful method for treating mandibular ORN that does not respond to conservative treatment.