Bone remodelling marker expression in grafted and ungrafted sheep tooth extraction sockets: A comparative randomised...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surgical Innovation
• Veterinary Orthopedics

Background:

• Bone regeneration is crucial for dental implant success.
• Graft materials like Bio-Oss® and Bio-Gide® are used to enhance bone healing.
• Understanding molecular changes during healing is essential for optimizing regenerative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare bone remodeling markers in sheep tooth extraction sockets.
• To evaluate the effects of a bovine-derived xenograft (Bio-Oss®) and collagen membrane (Bio-Gide®) on socket healing.
• To assess molecular changes in bone healing using a sheep model.

Main Methods:

• Tooth extraction in Romney-cross ewes, creating standardized sockets.
• Random allocation of sockets to either grafting (Bio-Oss®/Bio-Gide®) or natural healing (control).
• Immunohistochemical analysis of RANK, RANKL, OPG, and RT2-qPCR for RANK, RANKL, OPG, COL1A1, TIMP3, SP7, and MSX2 mRNA expression at 4, 8, and 16 weeks.

Main Results:

• Histological analysis revealed greater new woven bone in grafted sockets at all time points.
• RANK and RANKL expression was strong in both groups, with higher RANK staining in the grafted group at 8 and 16 weeks.
• RANK receptor mRNA was lower in the grafted group at 4 weeks, and SP7 mRNA was lower at 16 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Socket healing progression was comparable between grafted and control groups over time.
• The sheep tooth extraction model is suitable for molecular-level evaluation of alveolar bone changes.
• Grafting with Bio-Oss® and Bio-Gide® influences specific molecular markers of bone remodeling.