Back ground: Synthetic bone substitutes have been advanced, and researches are developed to more effective biomaterials with promising ability to reconstruct lost bone structure. Tricalcium phosphate biomaterials and white Portland cement are among them. The aim of the current study is to assess the effect of β-tricalcium phosphate versus white Portland cement in surgically mandibular bone defect dogs.
Material and methods: Six adult dogs were used. The anaesthesia was conducted by iv injection of thiopental sodium 20mg/kg.b.wt. and maintained using (atropine 0.04 mg/kg b.wt., xylazine 1mg/kg.b.wt. and diazepam 1mg/kg.b.wt.in saline iv drop by drop infusion ), three critical size defects were designed at the buccal side of the mandible. The defects were 5 cm apart from each other. One defects filled with sterile white Portland cement, the middle defect filled with β-tricalcium phosphate and the later one was left empty. The dogs were euthanized at the end of 1 and 8 week postoperatively respectively. The specimens were prepared for light microscope using H&E and Masson Tri-chrome staining.
Results: The experimental sides of all periods revealed increasing the amount of new bone trabeculae extended from original bone towards the center of the defect with both white Portland cement & β-tricalcium phosphate. While, the control sides displayed few new bone trabeculae at central area and the lateral wall of the bony defects. The amount of new bone trabeculae confirmed the histological results.
Conclusion: White Portland cement is a biocompatible osteoconductive economically affordable graft material and it id more efficient than β-tricalcium phosphate.