Correlations between radiological and histological findings of bone remodelling and root resorption in a rodent cleft model

Abstract

Background The evaluation of bone remodelling and dental root resorption can be performed by histological techniques or micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between these two procedures in the context of cleft repair in a rat model. Methods The reconstructed maxillae and the orthodontically-moved first molar of 12 rats were analysed for correlations between the histological and radiological findings retrospectively. The alveolar cleft repairs were performed using bone autografts or (human) xenografts. Four weeks after the operation, the intervention of the first molar protraction was initiated and lasted for eight weeks. The newly formed bone and the root resorption lacunae were determined via histology. In the micro-CT analysis, the average change of bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular thickness and trabecular separation of the jaw, as well as the volume of the root resorptions were determined. The Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to study the associations between groups. Results Positive correlations were found only between the newly formed bone (histology) and BMD changes (micro-CT) in the autograft group (r = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.979, p = 0.05). The relationship of newly formed bone and BV/TV was similar but not statistically significant (r = 0.691, 95% CI: −0.274 to 0.963, p = 0.013). Regarding root resorption, no significant correlations were found. Conclusions Due to the lack of correlation between histological and radiological findings of bone remodelling and the development of root resorptions, both methods should be combined in this cleft model in rats for a comprehensive analysis.

A Biodegradable Tissue Adhesive for Post-Extraction Alveolar Bone Regeneration under Ongoing Anticoagulation—A Microstructural Volumetric Analysis in a Rodent Model

“…Histological methods for the morphological analysis of bones have the considerable disadvantage that they are labor-intensive and time-consuming. These methods have the additional disadvantages that samples can be damaged during histological processing and that repeated measurements of the same sample at different times are not possible [32]. Because of these limitations, various 3D visualization techniques are increasingly being used.…”

“…Because of these limitations, various 3D visualization techniques are increasingly being used. The high consistency and accuracy of µCT measurements have established µCT examination as the procedure for the assessment of mineral bony structures in several studies, and it is therefore particularly suitable for the in vivo monitoring of bony regeneration [1,5,24,32]. Moreover, assessment with µCT is an established examination modality for microtomography analyses of bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone density (BMD), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and the trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) of specimens [28,32].…”

“…The high consistency and accuracy of µCT measurements have established µCT examination as the procedure for the assessment of mineral bony structures in several studies, and it is therefore particularly suitable for the in vivo monitoring of bony regeneration [1,5,24,32]. Moreover, assessment with µCT is an established examination modality for microtomography analyses of bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone density (BMD), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and the trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) of specimens [28,32]. In addition, comparisons between two-dimensional histology and three-dimensional µCT with regard to BV/TV, BS/TV, Tb.Th, and Tb.Sp have shown that the non-destructive, fast, and precise radiological analysis of small bone samples makes it possible to measure bone structures even without biopsies [33].…”