Abstract

In this study, we used three-week-old male Wistar rats, corresponding to weanling children in human, to study the effect of dietary therapy using ipriflavone combined with 1α-OH-D₃ on debilitated mandibular condyle by observing the ultrastructural alteration. We got results as follow. By light microscope, the low calcium diet group showed reduction of secondary spongy bone. In the low calcium diet and standard diet with supplementary ipriflavone and 1α-OH-D₃ group, the calcification of chondral matrix and ossification were active, the mandibular condyle grew normally. In ultrastructural research, the low calcium diet and standard diet with supplementary ipriflavone and 1α-OH-D₃ group showed that the territorial matrixs between chondral lacunae were often found, and the borders of chondral lacunae were distinct. The characteristic of this group was most osteoclasts were inactive and parting from bone matrix, and active osteoblasts lined on the surface of bone formation separated by osteoid.