Bone substitute in the repair of the post-extraction alveolus.

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the choice of the best material for bone substitutes. Experimental models enable estimation of biological potential, efficacy and safety of a biomaterial before its clinical application. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of a bone substitute, UNC bone matrix powder (MOeP-UNC), for repairing the post-extraction alveolus in Wistar rats. Rats' first lower molars were extracted. The right alveoli were filled with MOeP-UNC hydrated with physiological saline (Experimental Group, EG), and the left alveoli were used as Control Group (CG). Thirty days after extraction, the animals were killed and the samples processed. Histological sections were made in vestibular-lingual direction at the level of the mesial alveolus of the first inferior molar (Guglielmotti et al. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 1985;43(5):359-364). Repair of the alveoli at 30 days after extraction was evaluated histologically. Repair of the alveolus was optimum in the control group at 30 days, and the EG showed presence of MOeP-UNC particles in close contact with newly formed bone tissue (osseointegration). In the experimental model used, at 30 days post-surgery, the MOeP-UNC particles integrate compatibly with newly formed bone tissue.