Recently, it has been reported that a drug manufactured by Merck, known for its brand name Fosamax, may cause osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) after prolonged use. The meaning of osteonecrosis is bone death. It comes from the Latin word „osteo“ which means bone and „necrosis,“ which means death. Osteonecrosis occurs when the blood supply to a bone is interrupted. Commonly, it happens at the end part of the bone where blood supply is most at risk. Necrosis is also referred to as avascular which literally means „without blood supply“ and ischemic which literally means „inadequate blood supply“. When osteonecrosis of the jaw symptoms develop, it is often due to some type of invasive dental procedure like tooth extraction, dental implant and bone surgery. These dental processes may bare the jawbone and generate the rise of ONJ symptoms.
Primarily, the onset of ONJ has no symptoms. Symptoms of ONJ may take weeks to become evident and may develop only following trauma to the tooth. As the condition develops, the person will most likely feel pain while chewing. It may develop to a condition wherein the pain becomes constant and severe that the person will find it hard to open or close his or her mouth. The surrounding soft tissues and the gums may become swollen and painful. A tooth or a teeth might decay and become loose. Through the lesions in the gingiva, the mandibular or maxillary bone may be exposed. The patient may feel the jaw becoming heavy and insensible.
Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax have been associated with ONJ cases. Bisphosphonates is the family of drugs where Fosamax belongs. These family of drugs work by trimming the old bone that breaks down. People suffering from osteoporosis or at high risk of developing the same may take Fosamax or alendronate hydrochloride to prevent bone loss. It is also taken by people who are suffering from Paget’s disease. In the past few years, Fosamax has been one of the most prescribed brands to treat osteoporosis yet a number of complaints arose prompted by the swift upsurge of ONJ incidence among users.
Based on information available to date, the incidence of ONJ appears to be rare in people taking oral bisphosphonates such as Fosamax. The link of bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax to osteonecrosis in the jaw has not yet been established. The principally reported Fosamax side effects such as femur fracture and osteonecrosis of the jaw have not been categorically proven and further studies are still being made but it have not stopped some people in filing for a Fosamax femur fracture lawsuit. Nonetheless, the FDA has admonished the manufacturers of all bisphosphonate drugs to include an advice in their labels about the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw, which Fosamax manufacturer Merck did follow last year.
References:
perio.org/consumer/mbc.osteoporosis.htm
mayoclinic.com/health/fosamax/AN01379/
{ 0 коментара… прибавете свой сега }