Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Ligand-Induced Local Osteoporotic Canine Mandible Model for the Evaluation of Peri-Implant Bone Regeneration.

The canine mandible is useful for studying bone regeneration after dental implant placement. However, it is limited in investigations of peri-implant osteogenesis under osteoporotic conditions due to the insignificant osteoporotic effect of ovariectomy. This study aimed at establishing a local osteoporotic model without ovariectomy by using receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) in a canine mandible model. This new model was used to evaluate the effects of injectable β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) microsphere bone grafts on peri-implant bone regeneration under osteoporotic conditions with combinations of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). A local osteoporotic canine mandible model was designed by creating a hole in the mandibular alveolar bone, then implanting a collagen sponge soaked with 20, 40, or 60 μg RANKL into the hole, and leaving it for 2 weeks. After the establishment of the dose for maximum osteoporotic bone loss at 40 μg of RANKL, the main surgery was performed. RANKL-soaked collagen sponges were removed, and dental implants were placed with bone grafts in five groups: implant only, TCP, and TCP + rhBMP-2 at 5, 15, and 45 μg. Peri-implant bone generation was determined by radiologic and histologic evaluations at 6 weeks after dental implant placement. On performing micro-computed tomography analysis, the group with TCP + 5 μg rhBMP-2 showed the highest bone volume than the other groups and a 22% increase (p < 0.05) compared with the implant-only group. In the histologic analysis, the TCP-only and TCP + 5 μg BMP-2 groups showed higher bone areas (14% and 16% increase, respectively) and bone-implant contact (12% and 7% increase, respectively) compared with the implant-only group, but there was no significant difference among the groups. In this study, the RANKL-induced local osteoporotic canine mandible model was useful for peri-implant bone regeneration under osteoporotic conditions such as those found in geriatric patients. The injectable β-TCP bone grafts used in this study were effective in peri-implant bone generation under osteoporotic conditions, and their efficiency was enhanced at 5 μg BMP-2 compared with higher concentrations of BMP-2.