Abstract

This study evaluated reconstruction of the alveolar ridge after molar extraction in rats with bioabsorbable bone repair scaffolds. The material was prepared from the unsaturated polyester poly(propylene glycol-co-fumaric acid) (PPF), which may be cured in situ to form a porous scaffold. The intention is to use this material either as a stand-alone bone graft substitute or as an extender to autograft harvested from mandibular reconstruction sites. The bioactivity of the graft substitute was investigated in a rat residual ridge resorption model. PPF bone repair material was injected into the defect site, where it cross-linked in situ in the presence of a hydroxyapatite (HA) filler and effervescent agents. The PPF-based material develops porosity during an in situ cure by generating carbon dioxide during the effervescent reaction of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate. The incorporation of HA promotes osteoconduction within the bone repair scaffold. In this study, bioactivity of the porous scaffold was evaluated as a function of HA particle size (micrometer-sized vs nanometer-sized particles). The maxillary or mandibular molars on the right side were extracted from 96 adult Sprague-Dawley rats. A 2-mm round bur was used to create a uniform trench defect measuring 2 mm in diameter, 2 mm in depth, and 4 mm in length at each extraction site. The defect site was (1) treated with PPF bone repair material containing nanometer-sized HA, (2) treated with PPF material containing micrometer-sized HA, (3) treated with demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft , or (4) left untreated. Rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, 7, and 12 weeks postoperative. Resorption of the residual alveolar ridge was assessed by radiographic outcomes. Bone ingrowth through the defect site was measured by histomorphometric outcomes. Mandibular and maxillary ridge heights increased for all treatments used in this study. There were no clinical indications that addition of either of the PPF bone repair materials retarded hard- or soft-tissue healing of the extraction sites. Although not statistically significant, the mandibular defects treated with PPF containing nanometer-sized HA healed at a faster rate as determined by ridge height and new bone formation measurements when compared with the other treatments. These findings suggest the feasibility of using PPF bone graft substitutes for oral-maxillofacial applications.