Bone remodeling and biomechanical analysis of mandibular condyle in rats with occlusal overload

• Grant number: 14/01747-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Radiology
• Principal researcher: Ana Cláudia Rossi
• Grantee: Sabryna Renata Closs
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Studies have used different methods to analyze the stress intensity stresses on the joint tissues, especially the mandibular condyle when occur occlusal changes, such as the premature contact, since the forces applied to the teeth are partially dissipated in the TMJ. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the bone remodeling and the biomechanics of mandibular condyle in adult rats with occlusal overload. Materials and methods: 25 male rats (Rattus norvegicus albinos), Wistar, 2 months old will be used. Application of photopolymerizable composite resin in the maxillary molars in 20 rats, simulating a premature occlusal contact condition will be performed unilaterally (right side). Then the animals are divided into four subgroups (n = 5) according to the time of sacrifice, being 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after resin application. In the control group, the teeth will be kept without occlusal alteration (without resin increment). From the initial age (2 months), these rats will be sacrificed at 7 days. The heads of all the rats will be subjected to computed microtomography using the SkyScan 1174 microCT. After, three-dimensional reconstruction of both sides of each mandible, the measures for calculating the volume of the mandibular condyle will be performed in CTAnalyzer software. Using the three-dimensional reconstruction of each rat, the finite element analysis will be performed to evaluate stress distribution to the mandibular condyle, and thus verify the relation between the volume and stress distribution of the mandibular condyles. Expected results: It will be expected that the bone remodeling and the biomechanical changes in the mandibular condyle have relation to in vivo occlusal changes. And, thus, this relation could be better understood.