title: [Establishment of the animal models of mandibular distraction osteogenesis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the animal models of mandibular distraction osteogenesis in rabbits and study its osteogenetic mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The right mandibles just anterior to the first molars of 12 rabbits were performed osteotomies, and the mandibles were positioned with distractors. The left mandibles were control group without operation. After 1 week, the distractors were stretched 0.9 mm every day for 10 days progressively. One day, 2, 4, 8 weeks after distraction, the mandibles were studied with gross measurement, X-ray, and histological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The right mandible were lengthened 8.3 mm on average without bone nonunion and deformity healing. It was observed that the gaps between the distracted bone edges were first occupied by fibrous tissue. Two weeks after distraction, it was found that the gaps were bridged by callus in X-ray, the new bone and the normal bone could not be differentiated clearly after 8 weeks. In histological sections, there were collagen bundles in early distraction, then those collagen bundles were calcificated and become trabeculaes. No Cartilage was found during distraction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It suggests that the rabbit mandible can be lengthened by distraction osteogenesis, and the new bone is formed by intramembranous ossification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai, P. R. China 200011.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D023421:Models, Animal; D010012:Osteogenesis; D011817:Rabbits; D014143:Traction