Treatment of osteoradionecrosis combined with pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis of the mandible with electromagnetic stimulation.

Osteoradionecrosis, complicated by pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis, is difficult to treat. Electromagnetic stimulation therapy may present a solution to this problem. A case of a 66-year old woman, suffering from osteoradionecrosis, pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis of the mandible, 6 years after irradiation therapy and partial resection of the mandible for squamous cell carcinoma of the gingiva, treated by electromagnetic stimulation, is presented. After 9 months of treatment, the patient was asymptomatic. Radiographic examination and bone scintigraphy carried out upon termination of the treatment, proved that healing of osteoradionecrosis and osteomyelitis had occurred. As far as we know, no previous reports have been published regarding this type of treatment.