ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and morphometric features of fossa navicularis, a close radiographic anatomic variation of canalis basilaris medianus of the basiocciput, in a Turkish population, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 723 patients (female: 420, male: 303) having CBCT scans. The patients had no syndromes, history of neurological diseases or surgery in the area of interest. On the images that revealed a fossa navicularis, the depth, length, and width measurements were performed, and were compared to the age and gender of the patients. The shape and number of fossa navicularis were also recorded. RESULTS: Fossa navicularis was identified in 48 (6.6%) patients. Among these patients, 19 were female (4.5% of all female patients), whereas 29 were male (9.6% of all male patients), and their age ranged between 10 and 68 years (mean age: 34.0 ± 18.7). No significant difference was found between genders and age groups in terms of depth, length, and width measurements (p > 0.05). In 39 (5.4%) patients, fossa navicularis presented oval in shape. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the prevalence of fossa navicularis was found to be higher than previously reported, it still seems to be rare. Anatomical structure of the fossa navicularis can be studied effectively on CBCT images.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to establish a bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) rat model and to analyse the effects of teriparatide (TP) on this model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: I-zoledronic acid (ZA, n = 10); II-ZA and teriparatide (ZA + TP, n = 10); III-control (n = 10). Osteonecrosis was induced by administering zoledronic acid to groups ZA and ZA + TP. A week after the injections, rats underwent extraction of the first left mandibular molar. Following a four week period, TP was administered to the ZA + TP group for 28 days. Upon killing, extraction sockets were examined clinically, radiologically and histopathologically. RESULTS: Clinical examination revealed necrotic bone exposure in none of the animals. MicroCT (µCT) examination showed that bone mineral density of the newly formed bone in the extraction socket was lower in the ZA group than in the ZA + TP group (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that only the ZA and ZA + TP groups developed osteonecrosis, and the osteonecrotic bone area in the ZA group was larger than that in the ZA + TP group (p < 0.05). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP) enzyme histochemistry revealed that the number of detached and large osteoclasts were higher in the ZA group than in other groups, whereas the number of apoptotic osteoclasts in both ZA and ZA + TP groups were higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw model used in the present study is an attractive model to investigate treatment modalities and that TP might be an effective treatment in BRONJ.
