Bone Morphogenic Protein in Demineralized Freeze Dried Bone Allograft - A Possible Reason for its Osteoinduction

INTRODUCTION Augmentation of bone healing by bone grafts at the recipient site occurs through one or more of the following mechanisms: osteoconduction, osteoinduction and osteogenesis. The objective of the present study was to assess the osteoinductive potential of decalcified freeze dried bone allograft material in bony defects of jaws. MATERIALS AND METHODS 35 patients with non-infected jaw lesions measuring 3cm to 5cm in size were enrolled in the study. The first group includes 25 patients in which decalcified freeze dried bone allograft was placed and a second group included 10 patients in which the bony defect was left empty and served as a control group. The presence of new bone formation in defects was judged measuring the bone density of the radiographs taken at 1st, 3rd and 6th month follow ups using Gray Scale Histogram on subsequent follow-ups. RESULTS The difference between the means of post-operative bone density in group 1 (1st month-21.75, 3rd month-9.71 and 6th month-5.74) and group 2 (1st month-62.61, 3rd month-39.75 and 6th month-33.86) respectively was found to be statistically significant with a P value of 0.00001 when compared using a t test. Both the groups showed new bone formation in the defect space with a greater increase in bone density and new bone formation in the demineralised freeze dried bone allograft group. CONCLUSION Demineralised freeze dried bone allograft maybe osteoinductive and leads to new bone formation within a 4weeks period.