Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025

Calvarial Model of Bone Augmentation in Rabbit for Assessment of Bone Growth and Neovascularization in Bone Substitution Materials
Published on: August 13, 2019
The Use of Human Sterilized Crushed Tooth Particles Compared with BTCP Biomaterial and Empty Defects in Bone
José Luis Calvo-Guirado1, Marta Belén Cabo-Pastor2, Francisco Martínez-Martínez3
1Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7500912, Chile.
Abstract:
This study aimed to assess the bone regeneration of critical-size defects in rabbit calvaria filled with freshly crushed extracted teeth, comparing them with BTCP biomaterial and empty sites. Materials and methods: Twenty-one female New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. Two critical-size defects 6 mm in size were created in the skull bone, each with a 3 mm separation between them. Three experimental groups were evaluated: Group A (human sterilized crushed teeth granules alone), Group B (Bioner Bone, Bioner Sitemas Implantológicos), and Group C (unfilled defects). The animals were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks. Evaluation of the samples involved histological and histomorphometric analyses with radiographic evaluation. The histological evaluation showed a higher volume reduction in Group A compared with Group B (p < 0.05) and Control. Group A showed the highest values for cortical closure and bone formation around the particles, followed by Group B and Group C (p < 0.05). Within the limitations of this animal study, we can conclude that the use of human tooth particles leads to increased bone formation and reduced connective tissue in critical-size defects in rabbit calvaria when compared to BTCP biomaterial. The calvarial model is a robust base for the evaluation of different biomaterials.

