Selection of osteoplastic material for bone augmentation in dentistry: histological and morphometric evaluation of reparative osteogenesis using various osteoplastic materials in an animal experiment

Abstract

This study provides a comparative histological and morphometric evaluation of the efficacy of demineralized and deproteinized bone pastes combined with a collagen membrane for the regeneration of critical-sized defects in the mandible and maxillary sinus. In an experiment on 8 sheep, mandibular body and maxillary sinus defects (lateral approach) were created and filled with various osteoplastic materials (blood clot, bone chips, deproteinized chips and paste, demineralized paste) under a barrier membrane. Observation periods were 1, 3, and 6 months; histological examination (hematoxylin-eosin and Van Gieson staining) and morphometric analysis with subsequent statistical processing were performed. The best regeneration parameters were observed in the demineralized paste group: by 6 months, mature lamellar bone with osteon structures and minimal connective tissue content (3,787 μm²) was formed. In the deproteinized material groups, a significant amount of connective tissue (up to 71,802 μm²) persisted at 6 months, and woven bone predominated. Correlation analysis confirmed a strong negative relationship between lamellar bone area and loose connective tissue area (ρ=−0.96). Thus, demineralized bone paste provides the fastest and most structurally organized formation of mature bone tissue in maxillofacial defect augmentation and sinus lift procedures, providing a histological rationale for the selection of osteoplastic material in clinical practice.