The effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with or without platelet rich plasma on the healing of mandibular bony defects in rabbits

Objectives This experimental study was designed to evaluate the effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) alone or in combination with platelet rich plasma (PRP) on the healing of experimentally created critical-size bony defects in the rabbit's mandible histologically, immunohistochemically using matrix metalloproteinase-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor antibodies and histomorphometrically. Materials and methods Sixteen rabbits were included in the study, where three identical critical-size circular bony defects, two in the right side and one in the left side of the mandible of each rabbit, were created; group I: comprises 16 intraosseous defects (the mesial defect in the right side of the mandible of each rabbit) with no filler, group II: comprises 16 intraosseous defects (the distal defect in the right side of the mandible of each rabbit) filled with TiO2NPs powder mixed with saline, group III: comprises 16 intraosseous defects (the defect in the left side of the mandible of each rabbit) filled with TiO2NPs powder mixed with PRP. Samples were collected from the surgical sites of the experimental defects at 2 and 6 weeks. Results Histologically and histomorphometrically: the amount of newly formed bone was superior and significant in group III when compared with group II and group I at 2 and 6 weeks interval. Immunohistochemically group III showed superior and statistically significant increase in the vascular endothelial growth factor expression levels and matrix metalloproteinase-9 immunolabeling when compared with group II and group I. Conclusion TiO2NPs can be considered a promising material for bone regeneration alone or when combined with PRP.