Effect of dexamethasone on osseointegration: a preliminary experimental study

The peri-implant reparative process is one of the factors involved in osseointegration. Local and systemic factors may contribute to the peri-implant micro-environment. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dexamethasone (DXM) on the first stages of the post-implantation reparative process using a quantitative osseointegration experimental model previously developed at our laboratory. A titanium laminar implant was inserted into the right tibiae of nine male Wistar rats under ether anesthesia, following a technique we previously described. Six rats received 120 micrograms/kg/day i.p. doses of DXM (Decadron Sidus, Argentina) for 14 days pre-implantation and 14 days post-implantation. The remaining three (controls) were injected with an equivalent volume of saline. On day 14 post-implantation, all animals were killed, and their tibiae were resected, radiographed, and processed before being embedded in methylmethacrylate. Microscopic observation and histomorphometric studies were performed. Results show that, in this experimental model, the extension of osteogenic peri-implant response was greater in DXM-treated animals than in controls. Thus, our laminar implant test may prove useful to study the effects of corticosteroids on the osseointegration process.