Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a form of ultrasound that utilizes low-intensity pulsed waves. Its effect on bones that heal by intramembranous ossification has not been sufficiently ...investigated. In this study, we examined LIPUS and the autologous bone, to determine their effect on the healing of the critical-size bone defect (CSBD) of the rat calvaria. The bone samples underwent histological, histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. Both LIPUS and autologous bone promoted osteogenesis, leading to almost complete closure of the bone defect. On day 30, the bone volume was the highest in the autologous bone group (20.35%), followed by the LIPUS group (19.12%), and the lowest value was in the control group (5.11%). The autologous bone group exhibited the highest intensities of COX-2 (167.7 ± 1.1) and Osx (177.1 ± 0.9) expression on day 30. In the LIPUS group, the highest intensity of COX-2 expression was found on day 7 (169.7 ±1.6) and day 15 (92.7 ± 2.2), while the highest Osx expression was on day 7 (131.9 ± 0.9). In conclusion, this study suggests that LIPUS could represent a viable alternative to autologous bone grafts in repairing bone defects that are ossified by intramembranous ossification.
Xenogeneic biomaterials Cerbone® and OsteoBiol® are widely used in oral implantology. In dental practice, xenogeneic biomaterial is usually combined with autologous bone to provide bone volume ...stability needed for long-term dental implants. Magnesium alloy implants dissolve and form mineral corrosion layer that is directly in contact with bone tissue, allowing deposition of the newly formed bone. CSBD heals by intramembranous ossification and therefore is a convenient model for analyses of ostoconductive and osteoinductive properties of different type of biomaterials. Magnesium alloy-enriched biomaterials have not yet been applied in oral implantology. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate biological properties of potentially new bovine xenogeneic biomaterial enriched with magnesium alloy in a 5 mm CSBD model. Osteoconductive properties of Cerabone®, Cerabone® + Al. bone, and OsteoBiol® were also analyzed. Dynamics of bone healing was followed up on the days 3, 7, 15, 21, and 30. Calvary bone samples were analyzed by micro-CT, and values of the bone morphometric parameters were assessed. Bone samples were further processed for histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Histological observation revealed CSBD closure at day 30 of the given xenogeneic biomaterial groups, with the exception of the control group. TNF-α showed high intensity of expression at the sites of MSC clusters that underwent ossification. Osx was expressed in pre-osteoblasts, which were differentiated into mature osteoblasts and osteocytes. Results of the micro-CT analyses showed linear increase in bone volume of all xenogeneic biomaterial groups and also in the control. The highest average values of bone volume were found for the Cerabone® + Mg group. In addition, less residual biomaterial was estimated in the Cerabone® + Mg group than in the Cerabone® group, indicating its better biodegradation during CSBD healing. Overall, the magnesium alloy xenogeneic biomaterial demonstrated key properties of osteoinduction and biodegradidibility during CSBD healing, which is the reason why it should be recommended for application in clinical practice of oral implantology.
Autologous dentin is frequently used in guided bone regeneration due to its osteoinductive properties, which come from its similarity to native bone. On the other hand, the xenogeneic bone ...biomaterial Cerabone
serves as a biocompatible, but hardly resorbed biomaterial. During bone healing, an inflammatory, vascular, and osteogenic response occurs in which cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and osteopontin (OPN) are released locally and systemically. The aim was to follow up the dynamics (on days 3, 7, 15, 21, and 30) of critical-sized bone defect (CSBD) healing after the implantation of bovine devitalized dentin, rat dentin, and xenogeneic bone biomaterial. For this purpose, histological and histomorphometric methods were employed. Additionally, serum concentrations of TNF-α, VEGF, and OPN were monitored in parallel to better understand the biomaterial-dependent systemic response in rats. At the last time interval, the results showed that the bone defect was bridged over in all three groups of biomaterials. The rat dentin group had the highest percentage of bone volume (BV/TV) and the least percentage of residual biomaterial (RB), which makes it the most optimal biomaterial for bone regeneration. Serum concentrations of the TNF-α, VEGF, and OPN refer to systemic response, which could be linked to intense bone remodeling between days 15 and 21 of the bone healing.
A certain percentage of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is associated with inflammatory conditions. Osteoarthritis (OA) increases the risk of CTS, and both diseases are common in the general population. ...Moreover, OA and CTS are often present in the same patients. Since inflammation and fibrosis are found in both conditions, the question is whether circulating inflammatory cytokines and cytokines involved in fibrosis in OA and CTS patients could serve as indicators of coexisting CTS and OA pathology. This investigation was performed on 31 CTS patients, 29 hip OA patients, and 15 healthy volunteers. Blood samples were collected, and serum levels of TGF-β1, BMP-7, IL-1β, and TNFα were measured using the ELISA method. The statistical analysis was performed to reveal the most significant differences in the serum levels of these cytokines. Statistical significance was set at p-values ≤ 0.05. The serum level of TGF-β1 was the highest in CTS patients (16.36 pg/mL) and significantly different compared to OA and healthy control. Analysis of the cytokine serum level in the subdivided group revealed that serum levels of TGF-β1 and BMP-7 were significantly higher in CTS+/OA+ patients as well as BMP-7 in the OA+/CTS+ group. There was no significant difference in serum levels of the inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-1β among all groups. This study showed that in the end stage of CTS and OA, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL1-β and TNFα) were not altered, while the serum levels of TGF-β1 and BMP-7 were significantly higher, especially in patients with coexisting OA and CTS. These findings suggest the possible values of TGF-β1 and BMP-7 as a predictive factor for the comorbidity of CTS and OA.
Bacterial contamination of the membranes used during guided bone regeneration directly influences the outcome of this procedure. In this study, we analyzed the early stages of bacterial adhesion on ...two commercial dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membranes in order to identify microstructural features that led to different adhesion strengths. The microstructure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The surface properties were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface free energy (SFE) measurements. Bacterial properties were determined using the microbial adhesion to solvents (MATS) assay, and bacterial surface free energy (SFE) was measured spectrophotometrically. The adhesion of four species of oral bacteria (
,
,
, and
) was studied on surfaces with or without the artificial saliva coating. The results indicated that the degree of crystallinity (78.6% vs. 34.2%, with average crystallite size 50.54 nm vs. 32.86 nm) is the principal feature promoting the adhesion strength, through lower nanoscale roughness and possibly higher surface stiffness. The spherical crystallites ("warts"), observed on the surface of the highly crystalline sample, were also identified as a contributor. All bacterial species adhered better to a highly crystalline membrane (around 1 log
CFU/mL difference), both with and without artificial saliva coating. Our results show that the changes in polymer microstructure result in different antimicrobial properties even for chemically identical PTFE membranes.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of usage and the knowledge and attitudes towards dietary supplements among medical sciences and nonmedical sciences students from Croatia. The ...study was conducted based on a questionnaire about dietary supplement usage, knowledge and attitudes. The prevalence of dietary supplement use, among 910 university students was 30.5%. The most-used dietary supplements were vitamins (18.0% in medical sciences students and 9.8% in non-medical sciences students). For all students, the internet (66.1%) was the most common source of information, followed by healthcare professionals (33.2%). The most common reason for taking dietary supplements was to maintain good health (26.4%). Use of the internet rather than health professionals as a trusted information source should be revised among this young population. Supplement intake was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (
= 0.016) and physical activity (
= 0.050). Students with normal BMI (61.5%) and the most physically active students (37.7%) took significantly more dietary supplements. Results of this study could help medicine faculties to improve their curriculum and support the development of public health messages aimed at wise and safe use of dietary supplements.
This prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial reports clinical, radiographic, histologic and immunohistochemical results of autologous dentin graft (ADG) and its comparison with a mixture ...of bovine xenograft with autologous bone (BX+AB). After tooth extraction in the esthetic zone of maxilla, the alveolar ridge of 20 patients in the test group was augmented with ADG, while 17 patients in the control group received the combination of BX+AB. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed before tooth extraction and after 4 months when a total of 22 bone biopsies were harvested and subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Radiological analysis showed comparable results of bone dimension loss in both groups. Quantitative histologic analysis showed comparable results with no statistically significant differences between the groups. Immunohistochemical staining with TNF-α and BMP-4 antibodies revealed immunopositivity in both groups. A statistically significant difference between the groups was found in the intensity of TNF-α in the area of newly formed bone (
= 0.0003) and around remaining biomaterial particles (
= 0.0027), and in the intensity of BMP-4 in the area around biomaterial particles (
= 0.0001). Overall, ADG showed biocompatibility and achieved successful bone regeneration in the esthetic zone of the maxilla similar to BX+AB.
After tooth extraction, the alveolar ridge undergoes dimensional changes. Different bone regeneration biomaterials are used to reduce bone loss. The aim of this article was to systematically review ...the literature on the effect of injectable synthetic biomaterials and their advantages and disadvantages for new bone formation in the maxilla and mandible in animals and humans. A literature search was conducted in November 2020 via MEDLINE PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase. Of the 501 records screened, abstract analysis was performed on 49 articles, resulting in 21 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Animal studies have shown heterogeneity in terms of animal models, follow-up time, composition of the injectable biomaterial, and different outcome variables such as bone–implant contact, newly formed bone, and peri-implant bone density. Heterogeneity has also been demonstrated by human studies. The following outcomes were observed: newly formed bone, connective tissue, residual injectable bone graft substitute, radiographic density, residual bone height, and different follow-up periods. Further studies, especially in humans, based on the histological and biomechanical properties of the injectable delivery form, are needed to draw more concrete conclusions that will contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of this type of biomaterials and their role in bone regeneration.
Following trauma, chronic periapical process, or tooth extraction, a large loss of bone volume is noticed during the healing process. To facilitate the placement of dental implants, various surgical ...procedures are used for an optimal alveolar ridge profile, while maintaining adequate bone dimensions. The main aim of this study was to determine the healing ability (histologically and immunohistologically) of alveolar bone defects during augmentation with two different biomaterials: injectable biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and anorganic bovine bone (ABB). Thirty-eight subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received the tested bone substitute biomaterial (BSB), i.e., BCP (maxresorb inject
), and the second group received an alternative to the gold standard, i.e., ABB (Bio-Oss
). The histopathological, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemical analyses gave comparable results for these bone substitute materials in terms of newly formed bone: (BCP: 39.91 ± 8.49%, ABB: 41.73 ± 13.99%), residual biomaterial (BCP: 28.61 ± 11.38%, ABB: 31.72 ± 15.52%), and soft tissue (BCP: 31.49 ± 11.09%, ABB: 26.54 ± 7.25%), with no significant difference found between the groups (
< 0.05,
-test), proving that BCP is equally suitable and successful for alveolar bone regeneration.