European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 8 - Number 3
Eur J Anat, 8 (3): 101-105 (2004)

The osteoinductive potential of MTA (Mineral Trioxide Aggregate): A histologic study in rabbits

Gallas Torreira M., Dos Santos A.A., Rodriguez Cobos M.A., Fuentes Boquete I., Crespo Abelleira A.

Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Coruña, Spain; Departamento de Estomatología, Facultad de Medicina y Odontologia, Rúa Entrerríos, s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate bone response after implantation of MTA (Mineral Trioxide Aggregate) in the rabbit mandible. Experiments were carried out on the right mandibular body of 8 adult male rabbits. The animals were divided into two groups (control group and test group). In this in vivo study, MTA was used as an interpositional graft material in critical-size bone defects of rabbit mandibles. The animals were sacrificed on day 30 after surgery. The samples obtained from the mandibles were subjected to histological procedures, which permitted the collection of sections with a thickness of 60±10?m. The sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin and Goldner Trichrome stain and examined under a light microscope. No important inflammatory reactions were detected in any of the samples of the treated group. The results confirm the excellent biocompatibility of MTA. The implantation of MTA in bone defects led to bone regeneration 4 weeks after surgery. However, the growth rate was not significant and the amount of newly formed bone was limited with the use of MTA in this specific application. Sample examination did not suggest complete evidence of new bone growth from either an inductive or conductive perspective.

Keywords: biomaterial, eosin, hematoxylin, mineral, mineral trioxide aggregate, oxide, unclassified drug, adolescent, animal experiment, animal tissue, article, biocompatibility, bone defect, bone growth, bone regeneration, controlled study, Goldner Trichome staining, growth rate and growth regulation, histology, implant, inflammation, male, mandible, microscopy, nonhuman, oral surgery, ossification, rabbit, staining

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)