J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg.  2013 Feb;39(1):9-13. 10.5125/jkaoms.2013.39.1.9.

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

• Lee JK
• Kim KW
• Choi JY
• Moon SY
• Kim SG
• Kim CH
• Kim HM
• Kwon YD
• Kim YD
• Lee DK
• Min SK
• Park IS
• Park YW
• Kook MS
• Park HJ
• Baek JA
• Park JW
• Kwon TG

• KMID: 2189551
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5125/jkaoms.2013.39.1.9

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Bisphosphonates (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 METHODS
A 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.
RESULTS
A 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.
CONCLUSION
The 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.

Keyword

Bisphosphonate; Osteonecrosis; Jaw; Data collection

MeSH Terms

Administration, Intravenous
Alendronate
Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Data Collection
Diphosphonates
Etidronic Acid
Humans
Incidence
Jaw
Korea
Osteonecrosis
Schools, Dental
Schools, Medical
Surgery, Oral
Risedronate Sodium
Alendronate
Diphosphonates
Etidronic Acid

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Age distribution of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw patients.

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  Fig. 2 Percentage of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw patients according to medication.

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