Autogenous Tooth Bone Graft and Simvastatin Combination Effect on Bone Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Background:

• Autogenous tooth bone grafts (ATGM) are derived from extracted teeth and share structural similarities with bone.
• Demineralization is a common step in preparing tooth-derived bone grafts.
• The potential of non-demineralized ATGM for bone formation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the bone-forming capacity of non-demineralized ATGM when combined with simvastatin.
• To compare the efficacy of ATGM-based grafts with other bone graft materials in a rat calvarial defect model.

Main Methods:

• Critical-sized calvarial defects (6.0 mm diameter) were created in 60 Wistar albino rats.
• Groups included: empty defect (control), ATGM only, ATGM + simvastatin, autogenous bone graft + simvastatin, and xenogenic bone graft + simvastatin.
• Bone formation was assessed using PCR, micro-CT, and histology at 7 and 28 days post-operation.

Main Results:

• All experimental groups showed enhanced bone formation compared to the control group.
• ATGM + simvastatin (Group 2) demonstrated comparable bone formation to autogenous and xenogenic bone grafts + simvastatin (Groups 3 and 4) at 28 days.
• Non-demineralized ATGM alone also promoted bone formation.

Conclusions:

• Mineralized tooth bone grafts can be utilized for bone defect reconstruction without demineralization.
• Combining autogenous mineralized tooth bone graft with simvastatin is effective for bone regeneration, comparable to established bone graft materials.