Comparative assessment of alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis: a 2D and 3D microtomographic study in a rat model

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by soft and hard tissue breakdown due to attachment and alveolar bone loss. The objective of this investigation was to quantify the alveolar bone loss and recovery in a rat model subjected to ligature-induced periodontitis (PD) using both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microtomographic examinations. A cohort of 40 rats was distributed into control (C) and PD groups. Bone loss assessments were undertaken on the 10th day post-ligature insertion for bone loss and again 11 days after ligature extraction on the 21st day for bone recovery. In the 2D analysis, bone loss was evaluated in furcation regions, interproximal areas, and buccal and lingual aspects and for the 3D, the region of interest were the interproximal and furcation areas. Except for the CEJ-Lingual region, a disparity was observed between the C and PD groups on the 10th and 21st days (p < 0.05). In 3D evaluations “bone volume” (BV) and “bone volume to total volume ratio” (BV/TV) were measured. Both parameters demonstrated disease progression and bone recovery with detectable variations on the 10th and 21st days (p < 0.05). The outcomes confirm microtomographic examinations as a robust technique for bone change monitoring. Notably, the linear and volumetric measurements obtained from the same sample showed different perspectives of bone loss percentages. The selection of the anatomical area of interest and the analytical technique wield potential influence on results and must be considered based on their importance in studies targeting bone loss or bone recovery evaluations.