Efficacy and safety of a new heterologous fibrin biopolymer on socket bone healing after tooth extraction: An experimental pre-clinical study.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB) in promoting alveolar bone healing after tooth extraction in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The upper right incisors of 48 Wistar rats were extracted. Toothless sockets were filled with HFB (HFBG, n = 24) or blood clot (BCG, n = 24). The tooth extraction sites were subjected to micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), histological, histomorphometric and immunohistochemical (for Runt-related transcription factor 2/Runx2 and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase/TRAP) analyses on days 0, 7, 14 and 42 after extraction. RESULTS: Socket volume remained similar between days 0 and 14 (69 ± 5.4 mm3), except in the BCG on day 14, when it was 10% lower (p = .043). Although the number of Runx2+ osteoblasts was high and similar in both groups (34 × 102 cells/mm2), the HFBG showed lower inflammatory process and osteoclast activity than BCG at 7 days. On day 14, the number of Runx2+ osteoblasts remained high and similar to the previous period in both groups. However, osteoclast activity increased. This increase was 55% lower in the HFBG than BCG. In the BCG, the presence of an inflammatory process and larger and numerous osteoclasts on day 14 led to resorption of the alveolar bone ridge and newly formed bone. On day 42, numbers of Runx2+ osteoblast and TRAP+ osteoclasts decreased dramatically in both groups. Although the BCG exhibited a more mature cortical bone formation, it exhibited a higher socket reduction (28.3 ± 6.67%) and smaller bone volume (37 ± 5.8 mm3) compared with HFBG (socket reduction of 14.8 ± 7.14% and total bone volume of 46 ± 5.4 mm3). CONCLUSIONS: HFB effectively suppresses osteoclast activity and reduces alveolar bone resorption compared with blood clot, thus preventing three-dimensional bone loss, particularly during the early healing period. HFB emerges as a promising biopharmaceutical material for enhancing healing processes after tooth extraction.

Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on bone regeneration: biochemical and radiologic analyses.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound at 1.0 MHz on the healing process of fractures with bone loss in the rat fibula by alkaline phosphate level measurement and radiologic analyses. METHODS: Thirty 70-day-old male Wistar rats underwent a bone resection of 2.5 to 3.0 mm between the proximal and middle third of the right fibular diaphysis. The animals were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: reference (uninjured), control (injured only), and treated (injured and treated with 5 applications of ultrasound, interspersed by 2 days of rest, beginning 24 hours after the osteotomy). Euthanasia was performed at experimental periods of 7 and 14 days. The right hind limb was removed for radiologic analysis. The blood was collected via cardiac puncture to determine the serum alkaline phosphatase activity. RESULTS: The bone fractures had not been completely consolidated in the treated and control group when analysis of the bone took place. At day 7, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in the treated group (mean ± SD, 72.17 ± 7.02 U/L) compared to the control (65.26 ± 8.41 U/L) and reference (67.21 ± 7.86 U/L) groups. At day 14, higher alkaline phosphatase activity was seen in the control group (68.96 ± 8.12 U/L) compared to the treated (66.09 ± 8.46 U/L) and reference (67.14 ± 7.96 U/L) groups. CONCLUSIONS: The biochemical and radiologic results suggest that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound can be used as an auxiliary method to consolidate fractures and probably reduces the bone healing time, offering clinical benefits.