Generation of a bioengineered autologous bone substitute for palate repair: an in vivo study in laboratory animals

We carried out an in vivo study to evaluate the potential usefulness of a novel bioengineered bone substitute for the repair of palate defects in laboratory rabbits, using tissue-engineering methods. Our results showed that the use of a bioengineered bone substitute was associated with more symmetrical palate growth as compared to the controls, and the length and height of the palate were very similar on both sides of the palate, with differences from negative controls 4 months after artificial bone grafting for bone length. The histological analysis revealed that the regenerated bone was well organized and expressed osteocalcin. In contrast, bone corresponding to control animals without tissue grafting was immature, with areas of osteoid tissue and remodelling, as determined by MMP-14 expression. These results suggest that bone substitutes may be a useful strategy to induce the formation of a well-structured palate bone, which could prevent the growth alterations found in cleft palate patients. This opens a door to a future clinical application of these bone substitutes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.