Periodontal regeneration capacity of equine particulate bone in canine alveolar bone defects

PURPOSE This study was performed to evaluate the periodontal wound healing effect of particulate equine bone mineral on canine alveolar bone defects. METHODS Twelve adult male beagle dogs were used as study subjects. The mandibular second and fourth premolars were extracted prior to the experimental surgery, and the extraction sites were allowed to heal for 8 weeks. After periodontal probing, two-walled defects were created at the mesial and distal sides of the mandibular third premolars bilaterally, and the defects were filled with equine particulate bone with collagen membrane or bovine particulate bone with collagen membrane, or collagen membrane alone. The defects without any treatment served as negative controls. After probing depth measurement, animals were sacrificed at 10, 16, and 24 post-surgery weeks for micro-computed tomographic and histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS The equine particulate bone-inserted group showed significantly decreased values of probing depth and first bone contact compared to the negative control and collagen membrane alone groups at weeks 10, 16, and 24 (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the new cementum length, newly-formed bone area, or newly-formed bone volume between equine particulate bone- and bovine particulate bone-inserted groups, both of which showed significantly increased values compared to the negative control and collagen membrane alone groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Equine particulate bone showed significant differences in probing depth, first bone contact, new cementum length, newly formed bone area, and bone volume fraction values when compared to the negative control and collagen membrane alone groups. There were no significant differences between equine and bovine particulate bone substitutes in these parameters; therefore, we can conclude that equine particulate bone is equivalent to bovine bone for periodontal regeneration.