An experimental model of disuse in the alveolar rat bone: A histomorphometrical study.

Lack of mechanical stimulation is known to cause disuse osteopenia in bones. However, experimental models for disuse osteopenia on bones other than jawbones are not applicable to jawbones. The little available information in this field has been applied to the study of overeruption of teeth lacking antagonists. However, the absence of an antagonist in the opposite jaw means that there is no stimulation by occlusion. Our hypothesis is that the lack of stimulation due to the absence of teeth causes disuse osteopenia in the interradicular bone of the antagonist teeth. Our aim was to develop a model of disuse osteopenia due to the absence of occlusal forces. We used male Wistar rats with 215-230 g body weight, divided into 2 groups: one absolute control group (C) and one experimental group in which the three right lower molars were extracted (E). The left side of the jaw in the experimental group was used as a paired control (PC). The animals were euthanized 7 days after extraction. The jaws were placed in occlusion, fastened and fixed in 10% formalin. The heads were cut in half and radiographs made of both jaws. The upper jaws were processed histologically. After decalcification, bucco-palatine oriented sections were cut at the level of the mesial root and distal roots of the first upper molars. On the radiographs, the distance from the tip of the cusp on the first upper molar to the antagonist edentulous ridge (DA) was measured. On the microphotographs, the following parameters were measured: passive eruption degree (PED), height of periodontal ligament at the level of the furcation (HPL) and interradicular bone volume (BVI). The data were compared statistically using ANOVA and Bonferroni's post-hoc test, considering p<0.05 as statistically significant. DA in experimental animals was 0.34}0.048 mm. PED in experimental animals was significantly greater than in the control groups, both for the buccal plate and for the palatal plate. HPL showed no significant difference between groups. BVI was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The results showed that the model used produces a condition of disuse osteopenia, shown by the statistically significant reduction in interradicular bone volume. The use of this model at different experimental times will enable the evaluation of cell responses in periodontal tissues, particularly bone tissue, e.g. to compare them to known responses such as the application of orthodontic forces.

An experimental model of disuse in the alveolar rat bone: A histomorphometrical study

Lack of mechanical stimulation is known to cause disuse osteopenia in bones. However, experimental models for disuse osteopenia on bones other than jawbones are not applicable to jawbones. The little available information in this field has been applied to the study of overeruption of teeth lacking antagonists. However, the absence of an antagonist in the opposite jaw means that there is no stimulation by occlusion. Our hypothesis is that the lack of stimulation due to the absence of teeth causes disuse osteopenia in the interradicular bone of the antagonist teeth. Our aim was to develop a model of disuse osteopenia due to the absence of occlusal forces. We used male Wistar rats with 215-230 g body weight, divided into 2 groups: one absolute control group (C) and one experimental group in which the three right lower molars were extracted (E). The left side of the jaw in the experimental group was used as a paired control (PC). The animals were euthanized 7 days after extraction. The jaws were placed in occlusion, fastened and fixed in 10% formalin. The heads were cut in half and radiographs made of both jaws. The upper jaws were processed histologically. After decalcification, bucco-palatine oriented sections were cut at the level of the mesial root and distal roots of the first upper molars. On the radiographs, the distance from the tip of the cusp on the first upper molar to the antagonist edentulous ridge (DA) was measured. On the microphotographs, the following parameters were measured: passive eruption degree (PED), height of periodontal ligament at the level of the furcation (HPL) and interradicular bone volume (BVI). The data were compared statistically using ANOVA and Bonferroni's post-hoc test, considering p<0.05 as statistically significant. DA in experimental animals was 0.34}0.048 mm. PED in experimental animals was significantly greater than in the control groups, both for the buccal plate and for the palatal plate. HPL showed no significant difference between groups. BVI was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The results showed that the model used produces a condition of disuse osteopenia, shown by the statistically significant reduction in interradicular bone volume. The use of this model at different experimental times will enable the evaluation of cell responses in periodontal tissues, particularly bone tissue, e.g. to compare them to known responses such as the application of orthodontic forces.

Se sabe que la falta de estimulo mecanico produce un cuadro de osteopenia por desuso en huesos de la economia. Los modelos experimentales de osteopenia por desuso utilizados en otros huesos no son aplicables a los huesos maxilares. La escasa informacion que existe en este campo se aplico al estudio de la sobreerupcion de dientes sin antagonista. Sin embargo, la ausencia de antagonista en el maxilar opuesto hace que falte el estimulo de la oclusion. Por tal razon, nuestra hipotesis es que la falta de estimulo por ausencia de piezas dentarias provoca un cuadro de osteopenia por desuso en el hueso interradicular de los dientes antagonistas. Nuestro objetivo fue poner a punto un modelo de osteopenia por desuso debido a la ausencia de fuerzas oclusales. Se emplearon ratas Wistar machos de entre 215-230 g de peso corporal divididas en 2 grupos, un grupo control absoluto (C) y un grupo experimental al que se le extrajeron los tres molares inferiores derechos (E). El lado izquierdo del maxilar del grupo experimental, fue utilizado como control apareado (CA). A los 7 dias de efectuadas las extracciones se realizo la eutanasia de los animales. Los maxilares se colocaron en oclusion, se precintaron y asi ubicados se fijaron en formol 10%. Se dividieron las hemicabezas y tomaron radiografias de ambos maxilares siendo procesados histologicamente los maxilares superiores. Luego de la descalcificacion se obtuvieron cortes orientados en sentido buco-palatino a nivel de la raiz mesial y de las raices distales de los 1o molares superiores. Sobre las radiografias se midio la distancia desde el vertice cuspideo del 1o molar superior al reborde antagonista desdentado (DA), y sobre microfotografias se midieron los siguientes parametros: grado de erupcion pasiva (GE), altura del ligamento periodontal a nivel de la furcacion (ALP) y volumen oseo interradicular (VOI). Los datos se compararon estadisticamente mediante el test ANOVA y prueba post hoc de Bonferroni, considerando una p<0,05 como estadisticamente significativa. La DA en los animales experimentales fue de 0,34}0,048 mm. La GE en los animales experimentales fue significativamente mayor que en los grupos control, tanto a nivel de la tabla vestibular como de la tabla palatina. La ALP no mostro diferencias significativas entre los grupos. El VOi fue significativamente menor en el grupo experimental con respecto a los controles. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo empleado logra una condicion de osteopenia por desuso manifestada por la disminucion del volumen oseo interradicular. La utilizacion de este modelo de desuso a diferentes tiempos experimentales permitira evaluar las respuestas celulares de los tejidos periodontales, especial - mente del tejido oseo, permitiendo por ejemplo, compararlas con respuestas conocidas como la aplicacion de fuerzas ortodoncicas.