The effects of adjunctive parathyroid hormone injection on bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: an animal study

Bisphosphonate (BP)-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a serious and challenging complication of chronic BP uptake in patients with osteoporosis who require management of skeletal-related events. The efficiency of adjunctive parathyroid hormone (PTH) injection was evaluated after chronic BP administration that was followed by tooth extraction. BRONJ was not observed in any of the subjects in the control groups, while BRONJ was observed in 66% and 22% of the subjects in the tooth extraction group and the tooth extraction with PTH injection group, respectively. In addition the presence and severity of inflammation was lower in the PTH injected group than in the tooth extraction group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.01). In conclusion, the administration of 30 μg/kg/day PTH during a period of 8 weeks had positive effects on the resolution of BRONJ, but further studies are required to verify the effectiveness of PTH in the treatment of BRONJ.