Histopathologic reaction of a calcium phosphate cement for alveolar ridge augmentation

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a calcium phosphate cement (CPC) in the reconstruction of a defective alveolar ridge in conjunction with implant placement. The CPC consisted of an equimolar amount of tetracalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate anhydrous. At the beginning of the experiment, all mandibular premolar teeth of mature beagle dogs were extracted. After 1 month of healing, alveolar bone was reduced to make a space for a CPC block that was prefabricated from a CPC mixed with water at a powder/liquid ratio of 5 g/mL. After an additional month, 8-mm long hydroxyapatite-coated titanium implants were placed in such a way that the apical half was embedded into alveolar bone and the coronal half in the preformed CPC block. The dogs were sacrificed and biopsies were obtained at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Sections that included implants were evaluated for integration of the CPC block to the alveolar bone and of the implant to the alveolar bone. Additional sections without the implants served as controls. The results obtained from this study show that the CPC ridge augmentation gradually is replaced by natural bone. Six months after surgery, histopathologic features of the augmentation area were quite similar to those of natural alveolar bone. The coronal half of the implants, previously surrounded by the CPC block, was firmly fixed by natural bone. Therefore, this method may be useful for increasing the height of the alveolar ridge. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 61: 47–52, 2002