New bone formation around xenogenic dentin grafts to rabbit tibia marrow.

Purpose: From traumatology, it is well known that dentoalveolar ankylosis results in osseous replacement and formation of new bone. This principle is used after decoronation for preservation of the height and width of the alveolar bone crest after trauma. Dentin possesses bone-forming properties and may possibly also be used as a bone augmentation material prior to implant placement. The aim of this study was to investigate whether xenogenic dentin particles inserted into the marrow space of rabbit tibia, a space where there is no solid bone tissue initially, would contribute to new bone formation.

Materials And Methods: Dentin chips from human teeth were inserted into tibias of ten New Zealand rabbits. The tibial bones were processed for histology after 6 months, and new bone formation was quantified.

Results: Bone formation was ranging from 0 to 86% on the dentin fragments, and there was minor inflammation. Bone formation was seen to a larger extent on dentin grafts located close to the native tibial bone wall. There was a significant correlation (r = -0.579, P < 0.001) between the amount of bone formation around the dentin graft and distance to the tibial cortical wall.

Conclusion: Dentin promotes new bone formation when located close to native cortical bone and may have a potential as a bone augmentation material.