The healing pattern of a 4 mm proximal infrabony defect was not significantly different from a 2 mm defect adjacent to dental implant in a canine mandible

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the healing patterns of 2-mm and 4-mm proximal infrabony defects adjacent to dental implants in canine mandibles. METHODS: Four male beagles were used. Two groups were created: a 2-mm group (n=4) and a 4-mm group (n=4) depending on the horizontal dimension of proximal infrabony defects adjacent to implants. Bone healing patterns between the 2 groups were evaluated and compared at 8 and 16 weeks using radiographic, histological, histomorphometric, and fluorescent labelling analyses. RESULTS: According to microcomputed tomography, the median bone volume fraction, bone mineral density, and the percentage of radiographic distance from the defect bottom to the most coronal bone-to-implant contact (radio-mcBIC) were 32.9%, 0.6 g/cm(3), and 73.7% (8 weeks) and 45.7%, 0.7 g/cm(3), and 76.0% (16 weeks) in the 2-mm group and 57.7%, 0.8 g/cm(3), and 75.7% (8 weeks) and 50.9%, 0.8 g/cm(3), and 74.7% (16 weeks) in the 4-mm group, respectively. According to histomorphometry, the median bone area fraction, mcBIC and the percentage of BIC amounted to 36.7%, 3.4 mm, and 58.4% (8 weeks) and 49.2%, 3.4 mm, and 70.2% (16 weeks) in the 2-mm group and 50.0%, 3.0 mm, and 64.8% (8 weeks) and 55.7%, 3.0 mm, and 69.6% (16 weeks) in the 4-mm group, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups for any variables (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The proximal defects that measured 2 mm and 4 mm showed similar healing patterns at 8 and 16 weeks, and the top of bone formation in the defects was substantially limited to a maximum of 1.6 mm below the implant shoulder in both groups.