Surgical management in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: four cases

Abstract

Bisphosphonates, which have been introduced into medicine in the early 1990's, is now being used succesfully for treatment of primary osteolitic bone diseases such as metastathic diseases, multipl myeloma, paget disease, hypercalsemia in malingnancies and management of pain occuring in these bone pathologies. Their half-life in circulation is very short, but they can stay for years in bone tissue. On the other hand, reports about bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw has been increasingly published recently. In this case report, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw and treatment modalities has been evaluated in four cases.