Quality assessment of jaw bone tissue in patients under alendronate treatment: a study in humans

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of human jaws in patients under alendronate treatment. It will investigate the relationship of possible changes in serum levels of biochemical markers of bone turnover and the histological bone characteristic. For that reason, it will be included subjects in postmenopausal period, in need of oral rehabilitation with dental implants. The subjects will be included in one of the 3 groups of the study: 1) control group: patients in postmenopausal period without clinical diagnosis of osteopenia/osteoporosis; 2) estrogen group: postmenopausal patients who are undergoing estrogen replacement therapy; or 3) alendronate group: postmenopausal patients under alendronate treatment for at least 1 year. After surgical-prosthetic planning, volunteers will be submitted for dental implant installation. Then, after anesthesia and incision, it will be prepared the receptor site of the implant. However, instead of starting drilling the bone tissue using a pilot bur, it will be used a 2mm trephine cutter and it will be collected a bone tissue sample. Bone tissue sample will be evaluated by computed microtomography, histology of decalcified and non-decalcified sections. It will also be performed the finite element models specific to each bone biopsies that will measure the deformation of the bone tissue. At the moment of the surgery, a venous blood sample for analysis of bone turnover biomarkers. The prosthetic rehabilitation will be started 4 month after implant surgery. Patients included in the study will be re-evaluated after 30, 90 and 180 days of follow up. (AU)