Spontaneous osteoradionecrosis —features and characteristics: the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a complication of head and neck radiation therapy (RT) and is associated with significant morbidity. The incidence of ORN is variable, and it has been speculated to be lower with advanced RT techniques. Risk factors that have been associated with the development of ORN mainly include trauma and a radiation dose to the head and neck region greater than 60 Gy. However, in a study conducted by our group, ORN developed spontaneously (without any known history of trauma or dentoalveolar procedure) in 82% of the ORN cohort following intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).The purpose of this study was to characterize spontaneous ORN and to compare spontaneous ORN with nonspontaneous ORN (e.g., related to trauma or dentoalveolar procedures).
Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontics - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research