Dentoalveolar trauma and minor trauma as precipitating factors for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ): a retrospective study of 149 consecutive patients from the Copenhagen ONJ Cohort

OBJECTIVE: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is often preceded by dentoalveolar trauma. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of dentoalveolar trauma precipitated ONJ and compare trauma-precipitated ONJ with spontaneously developing ONJ.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. All patients were examined according to a standard ONJ chart.

RESULTS: Among 149 consecutive ONJ patients from the Copenhagen Cohort, 95 (64%) had a dentoalveolar trauma before referral (trauma group): dental extractions (n = 80); denture-related sore mouth (n = 12); and others (n = 3). The remaining 54 patients had spontaneous ONJ (spontaneous group). The mean time from oral trauma to referral for ONJ was 8 months.

CONCLUSION: This study documented that dentoalveolar trauma precipitated ONJ in the majority of cases. However, even minor trauma, such as intubation and impression tray lesions, precipitated ONJ in a few cases (1%). Besides the occurrence of fistula to the skin and a difference in the male-to-female ratio, we found no significant difference between the spontaneous and trauma groups.