Anchoring Dental Implant in Tissue-Engineered Bone Using Composite Scaffold: A Preliminary Study in Nude Mouse Model

Chen, Fulin; Ouyang, Hongwei; Feng, Xue; Gao, Zhan; Yang, Yaowu; Zou, Xiaohui; Liu, Tieshan; Zhao, Guifang; Mao, Tianqiu

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2005.01.007

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 63, Issue 5 , Pages 586-591, May 2005

Anchoring Dental Implant in Tissue-Engineered Bone Using Composite Scaffold: A Preliminary Study in Nude Mouse Model

Fulin Chen, PhD
- Attending Doctor (adjunct position), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qindu Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; and Assistant Professor, Xi’da-RegeMed Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Chen: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qin Du Hospital, FMMU, Kang Fu Road 7, Xi’an, 710032, People’s Republic of China
Hongwei Ouyang, PhD
- Research Fellow, Xi’da-RegeMed Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Xue Feng, PhD
- Attending Doctor, Department of Orthodontics, Qindu Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Zhan Gao, MD
- Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qindu Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Yaowu Yang, PhD
- Attending Doctor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qindu Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Xiaohui Zou, PhD
- Research Fellow, Xi’da-RegeMed Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Tieshan Liu, PhD
- Vice Head, Xi’da-RegeMed Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.
Guifang Zhao, PhD
- Head, Xi’da-RegeMed Institute of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, P.R. China
Tianqiu Mao, MD
- Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qindu Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to fabricate a tissue-engineered bone graft anchoring dental implant with bone marrow stromal cell (bMSC) seeded coral-implant composite scaffold.

Materials and methods

Titanium dental implants (3 mm in diameter) were inserted into the cylinder coral scaffolds (5 mm in diameter and 1 mm in wall thickness). bMSCs were isolated from iliac bone marrow of adult New Zealand White rabbits, induced by dexamethasone and seeded into the composite scaffold at the density of 2 × 10⁸/mL in 200 μL medium. Nine cell coral-implant complexes were incubated in vitro for 5 days. One complex was processed for scanning electronic microscopy. The other 8 complexes, together with 4 coral scaffold without cell acting as control, were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice back. At 1 and 2 months after implantation, 4 specimens from the experiment group and 2 specimens from the control group were harvested respectively. New bone restoration and new bone integration with dental implant were evaluated by gross inspection, manual handling test, radiographic examination, and histologic observation.

Results

Specimens harvested at 2 months after implantation were red and similar to native bone. Manual handling test showed that dental implants were fixed in the newly formed bone. Radiographic examination showed that most of the coral scaffold had been absorbed. Bone density x-ray shadow could be observed around the dental implant. Histologic examination showed that large amount of new bone formed around the dental implants and integrated well with the implants in some area. In the control group no bone formation was observed both macroscopically and microscopically.

Conclusion

The results of the study suggested that the tissue-engineered bone of bMSCs seeded natural coral-implant composite scaffold is promising for dental implant anchoring, which has positive implication for clinical jaw reconstruction.