Objective
To reconstruct segmental mandibulectomy using calcium phosphate ceramics and collagen membrane with a delayed bone marrow grafting in experimental animals.
Design
Defects of segmental mandibulectomy were filled with calcium phosphate granules and wrapped with a collagen membrane in 4 dogs and left empty as a control in 2 dogs. Two months later, a bone marrow graft was injected into the center of the implants. Animals were humanely killed after a 16-week delay.
Subjects
Six adult beagles were included in this study.
Intervention
Segmental mandibulectomy.
Main Outcome Measure
Bone ingrowth and material resorption in the reconstructed segment.
Results
Successful osseous colonization bridged the whole length of the defects. The good new bone formation at the center and the periosteum-like formation at the periphery suggest the osteoinductive role of the bone marrow graft and the healing scaffold role of the membrane.
Conclusions
This model succeeded in regenerating a large segmental defect in the mandible. An investigation with a postimplantation radiation delivery schedule is required with the use of this model, which should be considered as a preclinical study for a bone tissue engineering approach in patients with cancer-related bone defects.