title: Bone healing after biodegradable mini-plate fixation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare bone healing in mandibular vertical body osteotomies (MVBO) after fixation with a resorbable 2.0mm-profile fixation system in the first and third postoperative months in rabbits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty hemimandibles of ten rabbits were divided into two groups according to duration of resorbable fixation-one or three months. The MVBOs were performed and one four-hole, resorbable, 2.0mm mini-plate fixation system was used on each side. The computed tomography (CT) scans, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and histomorphometric outcomes of groups I and II were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between the one- and three- month assessments in terms of newly formed bone ratio values (p<0.05). There was more new bone formation at the third month on both the CT and histomorphometric examinations. A better adaptation of the bone tissues to the resorbable mini-plate and screws was observed on SEM at three months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The resorbable mini-plates provided a fixation stable enough to allow immediate oral alimentation and callus formation in both groups.
authors.affiliation: PhD, DDS, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Scientific, intellectual, conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data; technical procedures; statistical analysis; manuscript preparation and writing; critical revision.
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Atali
authors.affiliation: PhD, DDS, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Conception and design of the study, technical procedures, statistical analysis, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gocmen
authors.affiliation: PhD, DDS, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Acquisition of data, statistical analysis, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aktop
authors.affiliation: PhD, DDS, Department of Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Histological examinations, manuscript preparation, critical revision.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Scientific, intellectual, conception and design of the study; analysis and interpretation of data, final approval.
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basa
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Dentistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. Conception and design of the study, technical procedures, histological examinations, final approval.
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cetinel
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D016268:Internal Fixators; D063168:Mandibular Osteotomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D023421:Models, Animal; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011817:Rabbits; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*