Exophytic bone formation using porous titanium membrane combined with pins in rabbit calvarium

Kim, Young; Kwon, Young Hyuk; Park, Joon Bong; Herr, Yeek; Chung, Jong Hyuk

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate exophytically vertical bone formation in rabbit calvaria by the concept of guided bone regeneration with a custom-made porous titanium membrane combined with bone graft materials. For this purpose, a total of 12 rabbits were used, and decorticated calvaria were created with round carbide bur to promote bleeding and blood clot formation in the wound area. Porous titanium membranes (0.5 mm in pore diameter, 10 mm in one side, 2 mm in inner height) were placed on the decorticated calvaria, fixed with metal pins and covered with full-thickness flap. Experimental group I was treated as titanium membrane only. Experimental group II,III,IV was treated as titanium membrane with BBM, titanium membrane with DFDB and titanium membrane with FDB. The animals were sacrificed at 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, and new bone formation was assessed by histomorphometric as well as statistical analysis. 1. Porous titanium membrane was biocompatable and capable of maintaining the regeneration space. 2. At 8 and 12 weeks, all groups demonstrated exophytic bone formation and there was a statistical significant difference among different groups only at 12 weeks. 3. The DFDB group revealed the most new bone formation compared to other groups (p<0.05). 4. At 12 weeks, DFDB and FDB groups showed the most significant resorption of graft materials (p<0.05). 5. The BBM was not resorbed at all until 12 weeks. 6. The fixation metal pin revealed excellent effect in peripheral sealing. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that a porous titanium membrane may be used as an augmentation membrane for guided bone regeneration, and DFDB as an effective bone forming graft material. The fixation of the membrane with pin will be helpful in GBR technique. However, further study is required to examine their efficacy in the intraoral experiments.