Bone healing after bur and Er:YAG laser ostectomies.
OBJECTIVE
Ostectomies, performed by different methods, are often necessary in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Rotatory and reciprocating devices are most frequently used but have disadvantages, such as noise, vibration, and the potential for inducing thermal damage. Laser systems are interesting alternatives to these procedures. We analyzed bone healing in a rat model after mandibular ostectomy with a surgical bur or noncontact erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser using different energy levels.


METHODS
Four groups of 5 rats each underwent ostectomy of the bone cortical of the mandibular body, with irrigation, using a surgical bur or erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser with different energy parameters. A metal plate was used for morphologic standardization of the cavities. The samples collected after 7, 14, 45, 60, and 90 days were analyzed by optical microscopy.


RESULTS
The ostectomies performed with surgical burs resulted in bone healing from the cortical endosteum and remaining trabecular bone. The cortical endosteum was repaired after 45 days, followed by bone remodeling. After laser irradiation, healing involved bone neoformation from the external cortical surface and endosteum. Surface regions with thermal damage were observed after laser treatment in the 3 conditions used up to day 60, followed by bone remodeling.


CONCLUSIONS
Laser ostectomies resulted in a thin layer of thermal damage. Bone healing was faster when surgical burs were used, with similar results reached after 90 days.
Martins
Gustavo Lisboa
GL
Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Puricelli
Edela
E
Baraldi
Carlos Eduardo
CE
Ponzoni
Deise
D
D000541:Alveolectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D023421:Models, Animal; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010521:Periosteum / Q000601:surgery; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology