Experimental study of alveolar cleft osteoplasty by controlled release of bone morphogenetic protein

Abstract

Autologous bone grafting is currently the preferred method for alveolar cleft osteoplasty. However, there are some disadvantages to this bone graft, such as the limited availability of donor bone and morbidity of the donor site. In this study, we introduce a novel graft material using controlled system of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) by gelatin hydrogel for alveolar cleft osteoplasty. Gelatin hydrogel incorporating BMP-2, gelatin hydrogel incorporating phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS) or BMP-2 solution were implanted in the artificial alveolar cleft. As a control, the alveolar cleft was left untreated. Bone regeneration was evaluated by microfocus computed tomography, histologic examination, and histomorphometric examination. Successful bone regeneration was observed at the alveolar cleft treated with the gelatin hydrogel incorporating BMP-2, which was in marked contrast to other groups. This gelatin hydrogel incorporating BMP may be a promising material for repairing alveolar clefts.