title: Cortical porosity of the mandible in an osteoporotic sheep model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cortical porosity and thickness of the axial and the appendicular skeleton are predictors of osteoporotic fractures. In the jawbone, however, cortical porosity and thickness may affect the mechanical stability of dental implants. We have shown previously that the jawbone of osteoporotic sheep has impaired trabecular structures, but whether catabolic bone turnover also accounts for the cortical bone porosity remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared mandibular bone from six geriatric sheep subjected to ovariectomy, calcium/vitamin D restriction, and methylprednisolone administration to those of six healthy adult control sheep. Histological ground sections were prepared from the diastema, first and second premolars, and postmolar region. Cortical porosity and thickness were assessed by histomorphometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cortical porosity was higher in osteoporotic sheep than in adult controls in the diastema and in the first and second premolar region. In the postmolar region, the difference failed to reach the level of significance. The changes were even more prominent when histomorphometry was restricted to the inner millimeter of the mandibular cortex. In contrast, induction of osteoporosis did not have a discernable effect on cortical thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that cortical porosity of mandibles is more pronounced in geriatric osteoporotic sheep than in adult controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. gabriella.dvorak@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dvorak
authors.forename: Karoline M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tangl
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldhahn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gruber
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000473:pathology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology; D003970:Diastema / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology*; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008660:Metabolism; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D016062:Porosity; D012756:Sheep; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D002118:Calcium; D008775:Methylprednisolone