Vascularity of the dental pulp after segmental osteotomy in the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus).
OBJECTIVE
To assess the vascularity of the dental pulp after segmental operations with and without interpositional autogenous bone grafting.


METHODS
Experimental study.


METHODS
University Department, South Africa.


METHODS
26 chacma baboons.


METHODS
Maxillary and mandibular posterior segmental osteotomies were perfused with barium sulphate 3, 6, 12 and 18 months postoperatively. The animals were killed at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months after surgery and perfused with barium sulphate. Barium-filled vessels were counted in histological sections from 189 control and experimental teeth.


METHODS
Number of blood vessels.


RESULTS
Blood vessel counts in mandibular teeth in osteotomy segments ranged from 0 to 1.15 compared with 2.27 to 4.58 in control teeth, while in maxillary teeth counts ranged from 0.54 to 2.22 for experimental teeth and 3.3 to 4.65 for controls. For both jaws, the numbers of vessels in experimental teeth gradually increased between 3 and 18 months but remained less than those in control teeth. Numbers of blood vessels were similar in graft and no-graft groups but both were less than half the counts in control teeth.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood flow is present in the teeth at all times after posterior segmental osteotomy but there is a risk of ischaemia.
Division of Maxillo-facial and Oral Surgery, MRC/University of the Witwatersrand and Dental Research Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
J F
JF
Lownie
P E
PE
Cleaton-Jones
L P
LP
Fatti
M A
MA
Lownie
M
M
Forbes
M
M
Bird
D000818:Animals; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D003287:Contrast Media; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010027:Osteotomy; D010215:Papio; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012307:Risk Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate