Ex vivo bone morphogenetic protein-2 gene delivery using bone marrow stem cells in rabbit maxillary sinus augmentation in conjunction with implant placement.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the potential of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) gene-transduced bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to facilitate osseous healing after rabbit maxillary sinus augmentation in conjunction with implant placement. METHODS: Autologous BMSCs derived from New Zealand white rabbits were cultured and transduced with BMP-2 using an adenovirus vector. Transduced BMSCs (BMP-2/BMSCs) were then combined with a deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) scaffold. Twenty-seven animals were randomly allocated into three groups: 1) control, sinus grafted with DBBM alone; 2) BMSC, sinus grafted with non-transduced BMSCs and DBBM; and 3) BMP-2/BMSC, sinus grafted with BMP-2/BMSCs and DBBM. During these procedures, a mini-implant was placed in the floor of the sinus. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgery. New bone area and bone-to-implant contact (BIC) were evaluated histomorphometrically. RESULTS: At 2 and 4 weeks, the BMP-2/BMSC group showed more new bone area and higher BIC than the other two groups. BMP-2/BMSCs were detected with confocal microscopy for up to 4 weeks, which indicates that transduced cells contributed to new bone formation. However, at 8 weeks, there was no difference in new bone area or BIC among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BMP-2 delivery using BMSCs may result in earlier and increased bone formation in the maxillary sinus. This finding may offer more stable bone support to implants and reduce healing times. However, this study also revealed limitations in the stimulatory effect of BMP-2/BMSCs, such as diminished activity over time in later healing stages.

Rabbit maxillary sinus augmentation model with simultaneous implant placement: differential responses to the graft materials.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to establish an experimental rabbit model for single-stage maxillary sinus augmentation with simultaneous implant placement. METHODS: Twelve mature New Zealand white rabbits were used for the experiments. The rabbit maxillary sinuses were divided into 3 groups according to sinus augmentation materials: blood clot (BC), autogenous bone (AB), and bovine-derived hydroxyapatite (BHA). Small titanium implants were simultaneously placed in the animals during the sinus augmentation procedure. The rabbits were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks after surgery and were observed histologically. Histomorphometric analyses using image analysis software were also performed to evaluate the parameters related to bone regeneration and implant-bone integration. RESULTS: The BC group showed an evident collapse of the sinus membrane and limited new bone formation around the original sinus floor at 4 and 8 weeks. In the AB group, the sinus membrane was well retained above the implant apex, and new bone formation was significant at both examination periods. The BHA group also showed retention of the elevated sinus membrane above the screw apex and evident new bone formation at both points in time. The total area of the mineral component (TMA) in the area of interest and the bone-to-implant contact did not show any significant differences among all the groups. In the AB group, the TMA had significantly decreased from 4 to 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, the rabbit sinus model showed satisfactory results in the comparison of different grafting conditions in single-stage sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement. We found that the rabbit model was useful for maxillary sinus augmentation with simultaneous implant placement.