[Rosemont, IL, October 1, 2014] Drugs commonly used by women to prevent osteoporosis and used by both men and women for treating a form of cancer are associated necrosis (death) of jawbones. It has been found that another type of drug that blocks blood vessel formation carries the same risk. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) has released a new paper on Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) that expands the scope of the condition previously referred to as Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ). The name has
been changed to reflect that antiresorptive (denosumab) and antiangiogenic drugs can also cause jaw necrosis similar to that seen with bisphosphonates used to prevent osteoporosis. The paper was written
by members of the distinguished AAOMS Special Committee that prepared previous position papers on this serious problem.
