Effect of Locally Delivered 1% Alendronate Gel in Periodontal Therapy

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to histomorphometrically analyze the effect of locally delivered 1% ALN gel used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) to treat experimental periodontitis in rats.
Methods: Periodontal disease was induced through the placement of a cotton ligature within the sulcus of the mandibular left first molar. After 7 days, the ligature was removed, and the animals were randomly assigned to either group C (Control) or ALN (Alendronate). In Group C, the animals were treated by SRP alone. In Group ALN, the animals were treated by SRP and the periodontal pockets were filled with 1% ALN gel. Each group was then divided into 2 subgroups for euthanasia at either 7 or 15 days post-operative. Histologic and histometric analyses were performed. The amount of vital bone area (VBA) was calculated as a percentage of the total area of the furcation. Data were statistically analyzed (ANOVA, Tukey, p<0.05).
Results: At 7 days, the mean percentage of VBA and the standard deviations of Groups C and ALN were 54.13% ± 14.31% and 52.85% ± 16.93%, respectively. At 15 days, the mean percentage of VBA and the standard deviations of Groups C and ALN were 58.59% ± 11.77% and 59.06% ± 23.19%, respectively. Statistically significant differences were not found between the groups at either period of analysis (p>0.05).
Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, it can be concluded that the adjunctive use of 1% ALN gel did not result in any additional benefit with regard to bone when compared to SRP alone in the treatment of experimental periodontitis in rats.