Treatment For Oral Cavity Avascular Bone Necrosis Associated With Bisphosphonate Fosamax Use
Cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and steroid medication treatments but there is an additional intervention added to their care plan which is intravenous administration of bisphosphonates. One of the commonly used bisphosphonate drug administered intravenously in large doses to cancer patients is Fosamax (generic name of Alendronate Sodium), which was used to counter the negative effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other cancer treatments used.However, alarming news reached the involved pharmaceutical company, Merck, who manufactured Fosamax and the Food and Drug Administration naturally received similar news about Fosamax’s alleged tendency to cause osteonecrosis of the jaw to cancer patients using the drug as an intravenous adjunct.
What is Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ)?
A bone, just like any other part of the human anatomy, is made up of special and specific cells that needs sufficient supply of nutrient-rich blood in order to grow, develop and stay healthy, but in the case of osteonecrosis of the jaw, there is an abnormal lack of blood supply to the jaw bone which ultimately leads to a “dead” bone.Bis-phossy jaw, Bisphosphonate-induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BONJ) and Deterioration of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) also point to the disease process called Osteonecrosis of the Jaw.Some of the symptoms observed are jaw pain, swelling, numbness, gum infection, poor gum healing after injury or surgery and loose teeth.
ONJ Treatments
The jaw bone’s condition is not ideal for intensive invasive and traumatizing surgical interventions since the disease process causes a decrease in bone healing ability of the affected bone area. Nevertheless, there are non-surgical treatments used for Bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) and these are antimicrobial rinses, systemic antibiotics, systemic or topical antifungals, discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy and no dental therapy or minimally invasive dental therapy (such as root canal therapy instead of extraction). Hopefully in the future, experts will finally think of a solution to treat ONJ for long-term goal.
Reconstruction of the affected jaw bone were done by some experts, but only a small number of doctors resort to this, though. Experts tried different techniques to aid in correcting this anomaly but admittedly these procedures are still under deep scrutiny and these are hyperbaric oxygen use (HBO) and reconstructive transfer of vascularized tissue to the affected part.The increased danger of Fosamax intake can take a toll to the pending piles of Fosamax lawsuits which involves femur fracture caused by Fosamax and Bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw.
If you have suffered any injury caused by Fosamax, such as painful jaw due to osteonecrosis of the jaw, you may want to talk to someone legal and knowledgeable about Fosamax side effects, clarify questions regarding just compensation expected from the damages endured, and guide you to the proper proceedings needed to be done in filing a lawsuit. Free consultation with an able Fosamax lawyer is available free of charge so consult one now and get your just compensation after filing your Fosamax fracture lawsuit. For more information, visit Fosamax lawsuit sites right now.
Tags: fracture, health, legal