Assessment of vascularity in irradiated and nonirradiated maxillary and mandibular minipig alveolar bone using laser doppler flowmetry.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this animal study was to confirm that laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is a reproducible method for the assessment of maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone vascularity and that there is less vascularity in irradiated mandibular and maxillary bone compared to nonirradiated bone.


METHODS
All maxillary and mandibular premolars and molars of 6 Göttingen minipigs were extracted. After a 3-month healing period, 3 minipigs received irradiation at a total dose of 24 Gy. Three months after irradiation, 5 holes were drilled in the residual alveolar ridge of each edentulous site in each minipig. Local microvascular blood flow around all 120 holes was recorded by LDF prior to implant placement. In 1 irradiated and 1 nonirradiated minipig, an additional hole was drilled in a right maxillary site to enable repeated LDF recordings.


RESULTS
The alveolar bone appeared less vascularized in irradiated than in nonirradiated minipigs. The effect of radiation appeared more pronounced in the mandible than in the maxilla. LDF was demonstrated to be a reproducible method for assessing alveolar bone vascularity. However, recordings varied by edentulous site as well as by minipig.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors' hypotheses regarding LDF and vascularity were supported. Further research validating the use of LDF in human beings, especially in those who have undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, is necessary.
Verdonck
Henk W D
HW
Department of Special Dental Care, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands. hverd@mkg.azm.nl
Meijer
Gert J
GJ
Laurin
Thorsten
T
Nieman
Fred H M
FH
Stoll
Christian
C
Riediger
Dieter
D
Stoelinga
Paul J W
PJ
de Baat
Cees
C
D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000098:blood supply / Q000528:radiation effects*; D000818:Animals; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000601:surgery; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000098:blood supply / Q000528:radiation effects; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000473:pathology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D008334:Mandible / Q000098:blood supply / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000098:blood supply / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000528:radiation effects; D008963:Molar / Q000601:surgery; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000528:radiation effects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D014081:Tooth Extraction