Does Segmental or Marginal Mandibulectomy with Adjuvant Radiation Confer Greater Risk of Osteoradionecrosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subjects?

Ablative surgery is the primary treatment modality for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Historically, greater depth of invasion in the mandibular cortex may necessitate segmental resection for disease-free survival while noninvasive disease may be managed with marginal resection, preserving form and function.1,2 Mandibulotomy similarly serves as a technique to permit access to certain anatomic sites affected by cancer. While any of the 3 modalities may be necessary to treat disease, the risk of developing osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in irradiated subjects with OSCC undergoing these techniques is poorly understood. As such, the purpose of the study was to elucidate this phenomenon.