Effect of low-level laser irradiation on bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaws: preliminary results of a prospective study

• Published in: Photomedicine and laser surgery Vol. 28; no. 2; p. 179
• Main Authors: Scoletta, Matteo, Arduino, Paolo G, Reggio, Lucia, Dalmasso, Paola, Mozzati, Marco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-04-2010
• Subjects: Aged; Diphosphonates - adverse effects; Female; Humans; Jaw Diseases - chemically induced; Jaw Diseases - radiotherapy; Low-Level Light Therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Osteonecrosis - chemically induced; Osteonecrosis - radiotherapy; Prospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1557-8550
• DOI: 10.1089/pho.2009.2501

The aim of this study was to detail the clinical efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for the management of bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ-BP).
ONJ-BP is the correct term, recently emerged, to describe a significant complication in a subset of patients receiving drugs such as zoledronic acid, pamidronate, and alendronate. No definitive standard of care has been set for ONJ-BP and no definitively agreed guidelines have been provided. There is currently no consensus on the correct approach to the issue.
The investigators studied a prospective cohort of 20 patients affected by ONJ-BP, who received biostimulation with a pulsed diode laser (GaAs). Patients were exposed to a 904-nm infrared laser (50 kHz, 28.4 J/cm(2) energy density, 40% duty cycle, spot size 0.8 cm). Outcome variables were the size of lesions, edema, visual analogue score of pain, presence of pus, fistulas, and halitosis. Preoperative results were compared with the postoperative outcome and statistically evaluated.
Four weeks after LLLT, a statistically significant difference was observed for reported pain (p = 0.0001), clinical size (p = 0.0034), edema (p = 0.0005), and presence of pus and fistulas (p = 0.0078 and p = 0.03, respectively).
This study suggests that LLLT would appear to be a promising modality of treatment for patients with ONJ-BP, providing that clinical efficacy is safe and well tolerated, especially by those patients who require conservative treatment. Of course, this needs to be addressed further in larger and randomly controlled studies in different clinical settings.