Abstract
Dental implants are important tools for restoring the loss of teeth. The rapid growth and periodic regeneration of antlers make Sika deer a good and less invasive alternative model for studying bone remodelling in mammals. We developed a special loading device for antlers and analysed the bone reaction around unloaded implants and under immediate loading conditions until osseointegration occurred. In micro-computed tomography images, the density of antler tissue around the implants increased as the loading time increased. This finding was histologically confirmed by the good osseointegration observed in unloaded and loaded specimens. Antler tissue displays a similar healing process to human bone. The use of an antler model is a promising alternative for implant studies that does not require animal sacrifice.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antlers / diagnostic imaging
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Antlers / physiology*
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Behavior, Animal
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Biomechanical Phenomena
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Bone Density
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Deer / anatomy & histology*
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Dental Implants*
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Male
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Pilot Projects
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Weight-Bearing
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Wound Healing*
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X-Ray Microtomography
Grants and funding
Following funding were involved in this study: Friadent GmbH (Mannheim, Germany) by sponsoring the implants for the initial investigations to improve the loading device. Straumann GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) by sponsoring the implants for the investigations in deer antlers. National Natural Science Foundation of China (11702231) by financial supporting for Mrs. Yun He. The funders did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.