Heat treatment for immediate reimplantation of resected bone was investigated with respect to bone regeneration. Thirty-seven adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used. A cranial bone segment was resected with a trephine and immediately reimplanted after heat treatment at 65°C (pasteurization) or boiling for 30 minutes. Histomorphometric assessment of new bone formation was performed in three groups, receiving implants of untreated fresh, pasteurized, or boiled bone. Eighteen weeks after reimplantation, new bone formation was significantly higher for pasteurized bone and untreated fresh bone than for boiled bone.
