Bone regeneration in mandible defect with autograft bone and cell suspension from bone marrow in rabbits

The objective of this study was to investigate the bone regeneration of a "gold standard" (autograft) from iliac crest associated with cellular therapy in rabbits. A bone defect was created with 10x5x5mm in 28 rabbit mandibles. The control group animals (n=14) were repaired with autograft of iliac crest and the experimental group animals (n=14) received iliac crest autograft in association with mononuclear cells from the bone marrow of the femur. Weekly radiographs were taken of the surgery region and histological analyses was performed in seven animals in each group at 15 days and in seven animals of each group at 30 days after the surgery. A gradual increase of bone density was observed and the experimental animals presented the bone bridge in 85.7% (6/7) of the cases, while only 42.8% (3/7) of the animals in the control group presented this structure 28 days after the surgery. The histopathological parameters analyzed did not show any statistical difference between the control and experimental group in 15 and 30 days of analysis. The results suggest that the mononuclear cells from the marrow bone can better support the autograft regeneration in mandible defects in rabbits.