Histology of peri-implant bone in a failed implant retrieved from an area of osteonecrosis of the jaw in a patient suffering from multiple myeloma and treated with intravenous bisphosphonates

Background: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been reported in the past few years in patients undergoing treatment with bisphosphonates (BP). Few published histological studies of ONJ can be found in the literature and no study has been reported on the peri-implant bone around a dental implant retrieved from an area of ONJ. The aim of the present case was to report the histology of the peri-implant bone around an implant retrieved from an area of ONJ. Materials and methods: Multiple myeloma was diagnosed to a 72-year-old male. The patient underwent treatment with intravenous pamidronate for 2 years and with intravenous zoledronate for additional 3 years. Five years after the diagnosis, 7 immediately loaded dental implants were inserted in the mandible. A preoperative panoramic radiography did show no pre-existing bone lesions. No healing of the post-extraction sockets of the right third molar and of the left second molar was observed. Three years after the implant insertion a breakdown of the oral mucosa covering the implants was observed. The most distal implant was retrieved with a trephine bur, due to mobility. Discussion: The histological findings showed some areas with osseointegration in patients undergoing BP treatment for malignant disease. Conclusion: There is certainly a temporal association between BP use and development of ONJ, but a correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Moreover, generalisations about this complex relationship cannot be made on the basis of a single case report. In patients undergoing intravenous treatment, clinicians must be aware of the increased risk of implant failure and, probably, implant insertion should be avoided at all, until more conclusive data are available.