Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor may impair bone healing around titanium implants in rats

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, meloxicam, on bone healing around titanium implants in rats. Methods: Thirty-one adult male Wistar rats were included in this study, and one screw-shaped titanium implant was inserted in the tibiae of each rat. The animals were randomly assigned to one of the following groups for daily subcutaneous injections: control (N = 14): saline solution; and test (N = 17): 3 mg/kg of meloxicam, each administered daily for 60 days. After the treatment, animals were sacrificed, and undecalcified sections were obtained. Bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) within the limits of implant threads and bone density (BD) in a 500 mu m-wide zone lateral to the implants were obtained and arranged for cortical (zone A) and cancellous (zone B) bone regions. Results: Intergroup comparisons demonstrated that meloxicam significantly reduced bone healing around implants. For zone A, significant differences were observed regarding BIC (47.01 +/- 10.48 A; 35.93 +/- 12.25 B), BA (86.42 +/- 3.66 A; 61.58 +/- 12.09 B), and BD (96.86 +/- 0.96 A; 91.06 +/- 3.05 B) for control and test groups, respectively (P < 0.05). For zone B, data analysis also showed significant differences among groups for BIC (30.76 +/- 13.80 A; 16.86 +/- 11.48 B), BA (34.83 +/- 8.18 A; 25.66 +/- 9.16 B), and BD (15.76 +/- 7.05 A; 7.73 +/- 4.61 B) for control and test groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Meloxicam may negatively influence bone healing in the cortical and cancellous bone around titanium implants inserted in rats after continuous administration.77101731173