Bisphosphonates-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in Korea: a preliminary report

Abstract

ObjectivesBisphosphonates (BP) are widely used in medicine for inhibiting bone resorption; however bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a major side effect of BP. To date, there have been no specific reports on the incidence of BRONJ among Koreans. This study investigated the preliminary results from a nationwide survey of BRONJ in the Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) at individual training hospitals.Materials and MethodsA total of 15 OMFS departments (10 from dental schools, 4 from medical schools, and 1 from a dental hospital) participated in a multi-centric survey. This study assessed every BRONJ case diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2010. The patient age and BP type were evaluated.ResultsA total of 254 BRONJ cases were collected. The majority of BRONJ cases were associated with oral BP therapy, while 21.8% of the cases were associated with intravenous administration. Alendronate was the drug most frequently related to BRONJ (59.2% of cases), followed by risedronate (14.3%) and zolendronate (17.0%). The average age of BRONJ patients was 70.0±10.1 years, with a range of 38-88 years of age. With the number of BP patients in Korea reported to be around 600,000 in 2008, the estimated incidence of BRONJ is at least 0.04% or 1 per 2,300 BP patients.ConclusionThe results suggest that the estimated incidence of BRONJ in Korea is higher than the incidence of other countries. Future prospective studies should be carried out to investigate the exact epidemiological characteristics of BRONJ in Korea.

Evaluation of <i>Epimedium brevicornum</i> Maxim extract for anti-osteoporosis activity in rats

“…Thus, measurement of BMD is can provide information for evaluating bone fracture risk [18,19]. The results in the present study showed that OVX reduced BMD in the right femurs and 4 th lumber vertebrae, which are rich in trabecular bone.…”

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“…Other medicines that stimulate bone formation (e.g., growth hormone, sodium uoride, and parathyroid hormone) or inhibit bone resorption (e.g., bisphosphonates and calcitonin) may prevent bone loss progression in established osteoporosis. However, these drugs are not effective for a large proportion of the world population, especially in developing countries, and their drugs have side effects, such as gastrointestinal reactions, cancers, osteonecrosis of the jaw, and reduced skeletal strength [13,14]. Consequently, to substitute or reduce the medicines used currently, there are efforts to develop new drugs with improved therapeutic efficacy, fewer undesirable side effects, and lower cost.…”

Anti-osteoporotic effect of Gengnian Jianshen decoction in rats

“…However, these drugs are not effective for a large proportion of the world population, especially in developing countries. In addition, they have side effects such as gastrointestinal reactions, cancers, osteonecrosis of the jaw, and reduced skeletal strength [14,15]. Consequently, there are efforts to develop new drugs with improved therapeutic efficacies, fewer undesirable side effects, and lower costs, so as to substitute or reduce the usage of medicines currently in use.…”