Dentine as an Ossicular Substitute Experimental Results in Animals

Abstract

The fate of dentine grafts of autogenous,¹ allogeneic² and xenogeneic³ origin has been studied in rats both in muscle and in the middle ear. The confine has been implanted fresh, autoclaved. Cialit-preserved and demineralised. Xenogeneic material tends to extrude from the ear and not to form a functional union with the structures it contacts. Fresh or Cialit-preserved, autogenous or allogeneic material, eventually stimulate new bone formation and usually become incorporated into the host ossicular chain; however, continuing resorptive activity is present. Autoclaved material does not result in new bone formation; demineralised allogeneic material stimulates very active new bone formation in the ossicular chain. It is concluded that non-demineralised dentine, on account of resorption, is inferior to ossicular grafts as a tympanoplastic material. Demineralised dentine, by virtue of its bone-inductive potential, may be of value in tympano-plasty.