Bone regeneration in rabbit sinus lifting associated with bovine BMP

Autogenous bone is considered the optimal grafting material for sinus lifting, although its harvesting causes great patient discomfort. Various approaches have been taken in order to obtain sinus lifting with preexisting tissue. However, because of the unsuitability of such tissue, additional materials have been required. Alternatively, biomaterials from humans or other animals are used. In this study, the efficacy of using morphogenetic bovine bone protein (BMPb) to augment the maxillary sinus floor was examined. Four grafting materials were employed: lyophilized bovine bone powder, absorbable collagen flakes, natural hydroxylapatite, and synthetic hydroxylapatite. Two groups of rabbits were studied. In one group, graft material only was used. In the other, graft material was combined with 0.5 mg BMPb. During 8 weeks of observation, polyfluorochrome tracers were injected in subcutaneous tissue to evaluate new bone- deposition periods. Following sacrifice, the samples were examined under fluorescent and light microscopes. Results indicated 33.34% more newly formed bone in BMPb animals than in controls. Graft-material resorption increased, but natural HA showed no significant alterations. The results show that the use of BMPb, although providing osteoinduction, might not promote sufficient bone formation. Nonetheless, this material could provide an alternative to autogenous grafts, thereby avoiding patient discomfort. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.