Histomorphometric Analysis on Bone Formation Effect of Beta-tricalciumphosphate around Dental Implants in Rabbit Mandibular Body: Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of beta-tricalciumphosphate (beta-TCP) as a bone graft material on new bone formation and regeneration of mandible bone defect around dental implants.METHODS: Both mandibular sites of ten rabbits were exposed. The experimental subjects were divided into two groups. Rabbits in the control group (right site of the mandible) had dental implants around cortical bone defects, without treatment, while, in the experimental group (left site of the mandible), beta-TCP was grafted into the bone defect around the implant. Rabbits were sacrificed after one, two, three, four, and eight weeks, and histomorphometric evaluation and analysis of the bone implant contact rate were performed using an optical microscope.RESULTS: Bone formation rates in the experimental group were greater than those in the control group from one to eight weeks, and percentages of implant surface contacted to bone were greater in the experimental group than in the control group from three weeks after implantation.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the bone formation activity around dental implants was increased by osteoconduction activity of beta-TCP.