histological and histometrical studies on the effects of fluoride on the femur in rats

background: fluoride (f−) is a trace element that is incorporated into bone mineral during bone formation. this study assessed the effect of increasing fluoride doses on the bone formation and microarchitecture on the femur of rats by histological, and histometrical methods. materials and methods: a total of 16 rats was divided into one group of control and three groups of animals that received 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mg/kg of fluoride daily for 3 weeks by gavage. rats which were exposed to inorganic fluoride in drinking water produced significantly more levels of bone lesions than the controls. results: numerous osteocyte lacunae buried at various depths were evident, and the lacunar walls were irregular with mineralized segments running in all directions. the trabeculae of cancellous bone in these animals contained large amounts of osteoid. conclusion: the results of the present study indicated that the ingestion of fluoride affected morphological changes in the femur of rats.