Journal of Oral Tissue Engineering

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopic Observation of Newly-formed Bone Growth after Coral Filling in Dog Bone Defect

1Tetsunari NISHIKAWA, 1Kazuya MASUNO, 1Kazuya TOMINAGA, 2Yuich ITO, 1Yoshimitsu BAMBA and 1Akio TANAKA

1Department of Oral Pathology, 2Graduate School of Dentistry (Pathology), Osaka Dental University,
8-1 Kuzuhahanazono-cho, Hirakata-shi 573-1121, Japan

Original Paper:J Oral Tissue Engin 2004;1(1): 103-109

Full Text. DOI https://doi.org/10.11223/jarde.1.103

Optimal bone filling materials that act as a scaffold for the repair of bone defects should possess, histocompatibility, and afford conduction of new bone formation without toxicity or allergic factors. In addition, the materials should be resolved and replaced by new bone. In this study, to develop new bone filling materials that promote bone formation and bone growth, we implanted coral in bone defects and observed the newly-formed bone by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).
Under general anesthesia in 3 adult male beagles, bone defects were made in the right and left femora and tibiae. These defects were either filled with coral blocks or left without any filling matrerial. After 4 weeks, calcein was administered. One week later, the animals were euthanized under general anesthesia, and the femora and tibiae were removed and fixed in formalin. The specimens were divided into two portions: one is for CLSM observation and the other for histopathological observation.
The formation of bone and bone marrow was seen in holes without filling, but only slight bone growth, i.e., increase in bone mass was seen. In the holes with coral filling materials, they might be resorbed by giant cells and new bone and bone growth was noted, while lymphocyte infiltration was slight in all holes. Since resorption of the coral inserted into the bone defect was observed, we concluded that coral is useful for bone regeneration.
Key words: Bone regeneration; Coral; Dogs