Fenestration defects in the rabbit jaw: an inadequate model for studying periodontal regeneration

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the support of the teeth, eventually leading to loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. Effective procedures for periodontal tissue engineering or regeneration require preclinical models before market introduction. Research has been performed in either small or large animals. Unfortunately, there is no intermediate-sized in vivo model available for periodontal regeneration studies, such as, for instance, rabbits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rabbit as a new experimental model to study periodontal regeneration. In 12 rabbits, periodontal defects were created in a 4 x 6 mm bone window. The animals were sacrificed after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. Up to 6 weeks, the fenestration defects healed partly by repair and partly by regeneration. After 6 weeks the root had erupted to such an extent that the original root defect shifted into the oral cavity. This signifies that the periodontal ligament (PDL) bordering the original bone defect site is newly formed during the natural eruption process and not locally regenerated. Apparently, the new PDL originates from mesenchymal cells that arise from the apical part (sheath of Hertwig) and subsequently developed into PDL fibroblasts. At 12 weeks, no signs of surgery were present anymore. On the basis of our observation that the defect of the PDL was replaced rather than restored, we conclude that the rabbit model has disadvantages and is less suitable for studies of regeneration of PDL.