Histomorphometric analysis of the repair process of autogenous bone grafts fixed at rat calvaria with cyanoacrylate

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to perform histological and histometric analyses of the repair process of autogenous bone grafts fixed at rat calvaria with ethyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-two rats were divided into two groups (n=16), Group I - Control and Group II - Adhesive. Osteotomies were made at the right parietal bone for graft obtainment using a 4-mm-diameter trephine drill. Then, the bone segments were fixed with the adhesive in the parietal region of the opposite side to the donor site. After 10 and 30 days, 8 animals of each group were euthanized and the calvarias were laboratorially processed for obtaining hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides for histological and histometric analyses. RESULTS An intense inflammatory reaction was observed at the 10-day period. At 30 days, this reaction was less intense, despite the presence of adhesive at the recipient-site/graft interface. Graft incorporation to the recipient site was observed only at the control group, which maintained the highest graft size at 10 and 30 days. CONCLUSIONS Although the fragment was stable, the presence of adhesive in Group II did not allow graft incorporation to the recipient site, determining a localized, discrete and persistent inflammatory reaction.