A Compromised Maxillofacial Wound Healing Model for Characterization of Particulate Bone Grafting: An In Vivo Study...

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Regenerative medicine
• Preclinical research

Background:

• Standard preclinical models often use healthy wound beds, which do not accurately reflect compromised oral environments after radiation therapy.
• Radiation treatment can significantly impact wound healing and bone regeneration, necessitating specialized preclinical models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize bone regeneration in critical-sized mandibular defects within an irradiated preclinical model.
• To evaluate the efficacy of particulate bone grafting in compromised wound healing environments.

Main Methods:

• Critical-sized (10 mm) mandibular defects were created in New Zealand white rabbits.
• One group received 36 Gy radiation prior to defect creation (experimental), while the control group did not.
• Defects in both groups were grafted with bovine bone material (Bio-Oss) and healed for 8 weeks.

Main Results:

• Histological analysis revealed less bone formation and bridging in the irradiated group compared to the control group.
• The irradiated group showed increased soft tissue presence.
• Micro-computed tomography confirmed significantly lower bone volume in the experimental group (22.02% ± 2.71) versus the control group (27.59% ± 2.71).

Conclusions:

• The irradiated rabbit model demonstrates reduced bone regeneration capacity, validating its use for studying compromised wound healing.
• This model is suitable for preclinical evaluation of tissue engineering strategies, including growth factors and 3D printed scaffolds, for radiation-affected oral defects.