A study published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science entitled “A Good Boy Grows a New Jawbone,” then retitled “Spontaneous Regeneration of the Mandibular Body Following Unilateral Subtotal Mandibulectomy in a 3-Month-Old French Bulldog,” documents the spontaneous growth of the left mandible in a cute puppy after surgical removal due to cancer.
Tyson, a three-month-old French bulldog puppy, has grown a new jawCredit: Cornell University Source: phys.org
The dog’s owners initially referred Tyson (the puppy’s name) to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service at Cornell University Animal Hospital in New York to have his cleft palate corrected when veterinarians discovered cancer. Although removing his lower jaw is a major treatment, they determined that since Tyson had no signs of metastasis, he had a chance of leading a normal life. In the following weeks, Tyson’s lower left jaw spontaneously regenerated, although there are no teeth there. Veterinarians attribute the regeneration in part to the amount of periosteum preserved during surgery; the tissue contains blood vessels and nerves that support the growth of the original mandible.