title: The Effect of Alendronate on Various Graft Materials Used in Maxillary Sinus Augmentation: A Rabbit Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing sinus pneumatization and the accompanying alveolar bone resorption complicate dental implant placement. This problem can be overcome today by raising the maxillary sinus floor with graft materials. Bisphosphonates are commonly used to accelerate the recovery of the graft materials and to prevent resorption.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate whether systemic administration of a bisphosphonate (alendronate) would improve new bone formation and reduce fibrous tissue formation over a 6-week follow-up in rabbits treated with two different grafting materials for maxillary sinus floor augmentation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This experimental animal study was conducted at the Experimental Medical Application and Research Center at Erzurum/ Turkey. Twelve New Zealand rabbits, each weighing between 2.7 and 3.3 kg, were used. Twenty-four maxillary sinus floor elevation operations were performed, two on each animal (n = 24). Each elevation was repaired with either deproteinized bovine bone (xenograft) or autogenous bone graft obtained from the iliac crest. Both groups were divided into 2 subgroups: saline-treated and alendronate-treated. All groups underwent the same surgical procedures and evaluation, and were sacrificed at the 6th postoperative week. Sinuses augmented with deproteinized bovine bone (xenograft) and autogenous bone graft were examined histopathologically and histomorphometrically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 6 weeks, the bone area was significantly larger in the Xenograft-Alendronate group (33.0% ± 5.0%) than in the Xenograft-Saline group (20.8% ± 4.9%) and the bone area was significantly larger in the Autogenous-Alendronate group (43.3% ± 3.8%) than in the Autogenous-Saline group (37.5% ± 6.6%) (P = 0.001). The histomorphometric and histopathological results consistently showed that alendronate stimulated bone formation and reduced fibrous tissue formation in maxillary sinus augmentation grafts, especially in the deproteinized bovine bone group (xenograft).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alendronate may be considered a therapeutic option for improving the bone formation process and reducing resorption in different bone grafting procedures. Further detailed studies should focus on dosage and time-dependent effects of alendronate on bone remodeling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayranci
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gungormus
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Melih
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Omezli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gundogdu
keywords: Alendronate; Bisphosphonate; Maxillary; Sinus