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Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
- Nelson B. Watts, MD;
- Steven T. Harris, MD;
- Michael R. McClung, MD;
- John P. Bilezikian, MD;
- Susan L. Greenspan, MD; and
- Marjorie M. Luckey, MD
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
TO THE EDITOR:
Woo and colleagues (1) have provided a helpful review of bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaw. However, their paper includes serious misstatements about bisphosphonates and bone. Citing the beagle dog study by Mashiba and colleagues (2), Woo and colleagues state that prolonged use of bisphosphonates may suppress bone turnover to the point that microdamage persists and accumulates, resulting in decreased biomechanical competence. However, they did not mention an earlier study by Mashiba and colleagues that showed that the microcracks in the ribs of the beagle dogs had little or no effect on vertebral strength (3). Woo and colleagues …
