# Mandibular Endochondral Growth Is Specifically Augmented by Nutritional Supplementation with Myo-Inositol Even in Rabbits

## TL;DR

Myo-inositol supplementation increases mandibular growth in rabbits without affecting other body parts, offering a potential new treatment for mandibular retrognathism.

## Contribution

Myo-inositol specifically promotes mandibular growth in rabbits, showing potential for clinical use in treating mandibular retrognathism.

## Key findings

- Myo-inositol increased the thickness of mandibular condylar cartilage in rabbits.
- Supplementation had no systemic effects on growth, such as femur length.
- Results suggest myo-inositol could be a safe and effective treatment for mandibular retrognathism.

## Abstract

Mandibular retrognathism occurs by insufficient mandibular growth and causes several issues, such as respiratory difficulty and diminished masticatory function. At present, functional orthodontic appliances are used for stimulating mandibular growth in pediatric cases. However, the effectiveness of functional appliances is not always stable in daily practices. A more effective, reliable, and safer therapeutic method for mandibular growth promotion would be helpful for growing mandibular retrognathism patients. As we previously discovered that nutritional supplementation of myo-inositol in growing mice specifically increases mandibular endochondral growth, we performed preclinical animal experiments in rabbits in this study. Briefly, six-week-old male Japanese white rabbits were fed with or without myo-inositol supplementation in laboratory chow until 25 weeks old, and 3D image analysis using micro CT data and histological examinations was done. Myo-inositol had no systemic effect, such as femur length, though myo-inositol specifically augmented the mandibular growth. Myo-inositol increased the thickness of mandibular condylar cartilage. We discovered that the nutritional supplementation of myo-inositol during the growth period specifically augmented mandibular growth without any systemic influence, even in rabbits. Our results suggest the possibility of clinical use of myo-inositol for augmentation of the mandibular growth in growing mandibular retrognathism patients in the future.