Animal Experimental Study on Delayed Implantation in a Severely Atrophic Alveolar Ridge Reconstructed Using a 3D-Printed Bioactive Glass Scaffold: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

In this study, a scaffold was designed using 3-Matic software 12.0 (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium) and fabricated via Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing technology, followed by a mechanical property evaluation. The scaffold was bilaterally implanted into mandibular bone defect models in four Beagle dogs to facilitate guided alveolar bone regeneration. After 12 weeks, samples were harvested from two dogs for radiographic and histopathological evaluations. In the remaining two dogs, two dental implants were placed into the scaffold sites. After an additional 12 weeks, samples were harvested for further radiographic and histopathological assessments. (1) Compression testing of the scaffold demonstrated a compressive strength of 24.77 ± 2.36 MPa. (2) Three of the implantation sites exhibited poor wound healing and exposure of the bone grafts early post-surgery (4 weeks), with an exposure rate of 37.5%. (3) Micro-CT imaging revealed a uniform distribution of newly formed bone within the scaffold, with an average bone height of 4.05 ± 0.55 mm and a bone volume fraction of 43.93 ± 4.68%. Histopathological analysis demonstrated the presence of vascularized tissue, non-calcified bone, and newly calcified bone within the scaffold. Additionally, newly formed calcified bone and vascularized tissue were observed at the interface between the implant and the scaffold. These findings suggest that DLP 3D-printed A-W bioactive glass scaffolds represent a promising approach for guided alveolar bone regeneration in dental implant applications.