Bone remodeling in periodontal lesions.

This study was designed to investigate sites of major alveolar bone formation as a result of resorption of the interdental crest in periodontal lesions. Bone samples were taken from twelve patients requiring surgery as part of their periodontal treatment. Tetracycline was used in all cases to label bone recently formed. The selected areas were periodontal pockets ranging in depth from 6 to 8 mm. The bone deformities were of crater-form configuration. The buccal and lingual plates were removed. Later, the dehydrated speciemns were embedded in bioplastic and cut to sections 70 mu thick. Controls were healthy pieces of bone taken from the same patient in unaffected areas. Yellow fluorescent tetracycline labeling was observed in both periosteal and trabecular bone. In the trabecular bone, labeling was exhibited in the lamella of some Haversian systems, away form the bone resorption. There was a direct relationship between bone resorption and bone apposition as seen by the presence of tetracycline in the buccal and lingual alveolar plates. Controls showed only minimal labeling. The results of this study have posed the question as to whether inflammation could be the stimulus in the reactivation of osteocytes or bone formation, in the buccal and lingual walls of the periodontal lesions.