title: Potential pathophysiological mechanisms in osteonecrosis of the jaw.
abstract: Bisphosphonates are used in the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy, skeletal complications associated with metastastic bone disease, Paget's disease, and osteoporosis. Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a recently described clinical condition that has been associated with the use of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates. Reports describing this entity first appeared in the literature in 2003. While there have been significant numbers of case reports and a limited number of retrospective and prospective studies examining risk factors associated with ONJ, the pathophysiology of this condition remains elusive. In this review, we explore proposed mechanisms underlying ONJ development and identify potential areas for future investigation.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA. rlandesberg@uchc.edu
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landesberg
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cremers
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cozin
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marolt
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vunjak-Novakovic
authors.forename: Stavroula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kousteni
authors.forename: Srikala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raghavan
mesh_terms: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates