Impact of Inorganic Xenograft on Bone Healing and Osseointegration: An Experimental Study in Rabbits.

PURPOSE: To evaluate if an inorganic graft applied before implant insertion interferes with osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bilateral mandibular incisors of 12 rabbits were extracted. One of the sockets was randomly filled with an inorganic xenogenic bone graft, whereas the remaining socket was allowed to heal naturally and served as a control. After 60 days, titanium implants were inserted into healing areas. The animals were killed 60 days after. Bone depositions were marked with fluorochrome oxytetracycline, alizarin, and calcein and evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) within the limits of the implant threads were analyzed. Data were compared statically by paired t tests, one-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: No differences between the control and experimental groups in bone deposition for each marker, in either the BIC or BA analysis were observed. The bone deposition marked by alizarin (14-21 days) was the highest, followed by oxytetracycline (0 and 7 days) and calcein (45 and 52 days) in both groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The bone healing or the course of osseointegration was not impaired by the use of an inorganic xenogenic graft before insertion of a titanium implant.

Unilateral patent nasopalatine duct: a case report and review of the literature.

A 15-year-old white female sought our institution complaining of a chirping noise during speech and swallowing. The noise was spontaneous, perceptible, and enhanced when hard suction on the anterior palate was performed. The patient reported no trauma, infection, or other clinical feature related to the noise. Clinical examination showed 2 small grooves on both sides of the midline, lateral to the incisive papilla. The left groove was visually deeper. Careful probing with a gutta-percha cone revealed the existence of a communication on this side extending from the mouth to the nasal cavity, which was confirmed clinically and radiographically. Probing was not possible on the right side. The diagnosis was unilateral patent nasopalatine duct, which was surgically treated. We report here a new case of patent nasopalatine duct and also present a review of the pertinent literature.