osteoradionecrosis
Sign in to saveOsteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious complication of radiation therapy in cancer treatment where radiated bone becomes necrotic and exposed. ORN occurs most commonly in the mouth during the treatment of head and neck cancer, and can arise over 5 years after radiation. Common signs and symptoms include pain, difficulty chewing, trismus, mouth-to-skin fistulas and non-healing ulcers.
Research
3,386 papers- Osteoradionecrosis: Exposing the Evidence Not the Bone.International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics · 2021
- Managing Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
- Osteoradionecrosis.Oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics of North America · 2011
- Osteoradionecrosis of the skull base.Journal of neuro-oncology · 2020
- Osteoradionecrosis of the jaws: definition, epidemiology, staging and clinical and radiological findings. A concise review.International dental journal · 2018
via PubMed
Clinical Trials
23 registered- COMPLETEDJaw Reconstruction With Printed Titanium and Free Tissue TransferUniversity of South Wales · NCT03905005
- WITHDRAWNSaliva, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, & Gland Function: A Prospective StudyLoma Linda University · NCT01532479
- PHASE3TERMINATEDStudy to Determine if Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is Helpful for Treating Radiation Tissue InjuriesNational Baromedical Services · NCT00134628
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGClinical Registry of Long-Term Dental Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer PatientsWake Forest University Health Sciences · NCT05325970
- PHASE4COMPLETEDManagement of Mandibular ORN: PENTO as Medical TreatmentHospital Vall d'Hebron · NCT02368457
- UNKNOWNRadiation Field, Dose and Fractionation Related to Mandibular ComplicationsLund University Hospital · NCT05412849
~20 min read
Encyclopedic overview
21 sectionsContents
- Clinical findings
- Epidemiology and etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathophysiology
- Risk factors
- Staging
- Prevention and management
- Prevention
- Prior to radiotherapy
- Dental assessment
- Dental extractions
- Preventive regime
- Post-radiotherapy
- Extractions post-radiotherapy
- Antibiotics
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Management
- Conservative
- Surgical
- Therapeutic approach
- References
Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious complication of radiation therapy in cancer treatment where radiated bone becomes necrotic and exposed. ORN occurs most commonly in the mouth during the treatment of head and neck cancer, and can arise over 5 years after radiation. Common signs and symptoms include pain, difficulty chewing, trismus, mouth-to-skin fistulas and non-healing ulcers.
The pathophysiology of ORN is fairly complex and involves drastic changes to bone tissue as a result of DNA damage and cell death caused by radiation treatment. Radiation therapy targeting tumor cells can affect normal cells as well, which can result in the death of bone tissue. Advances in radiation therapy have decreased the incidence of ORN, estimated at around 2%. Certain risk factors including the size and location of tumor, history of smoking or diabetes, and presence of dental disease can affect the chances of developing ORN.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “osteoradionecrosis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.