Incidence of and risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw in Korean osteoporosis patients treated with bisphosphonates: A nationwide cohort-study.

PURPOSE: To estimate the incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients treated with bisphosphonates (BPs) and to identify clinical risk factors that increase the risk for ONJ in Korean osteoporosis patients.

METHODS

We used data acquired from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Among 2,140,149 participants with osteoporosis in 2012, we selected 164,926 new BP users and 164,926 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The control group included only patients with no prescriptions for BPs between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2016. Participants were followed for 4 years.

RESULTS

Over the 4-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence rates of ONJ were 20.9 and 6.9 per 100,000 person-years in the BP and control groups, respectively. The BP group had an increased risk for ONJ compared to the control group after adjusting for multiple variables (hazard ratio [HR] 3.72, 95% CI 2.70-5.11). Advanced age (≥70 years), comorbid diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were independent risk factors for the development of ONJ. In addition, tooth extraction (HR 9.85), gingivitis, and periodontal disease (HR 4.78) were strongly associated with ONJ.

CONCLUSIONS

ONJ incidence was 21 per 100,000 person-years in osteoporosis patients receiving bisphosphonates. Clinical factors including advanced age, diabetes, RA, dental disease, as well as BP use were significantly associated with ONJ.