Incidence of, and risk factors for, mandibular osteoradionecrosis in patients with oral cavity and oropharynx cancers

Mandibular osteoradionecrosis (MORN) is a cause of significant morbidity in patients with head and neck cancers treated with radiation therapy (RT). Osteoradionecrosis is defined as an area of exposed bone secondary to necrosis following RT with failure to heal after a period of 3–6months [1]. The mandible is the most commonly affected bone due to the distribution of head and neck primaries and the relative hypovascular nature of the mandible. The pathogenesis of MORN is thought to be secondary to bone tissue and vascular damage causing a hypoxic, hypocellular, and hypovascular environment [2] and a radiation-induced fibroatrophic process [3].

http://ift.tt/2vJOZLx