Improved bioabsorbability of synthetic hydroxyapatite through partial dissolution-precipitation of its surface

Osteoinduction in Novel Micropores of Partially Dissolved and Precipitated Hydroxyapatite Block in Scalp of Young Rats

Osteoinduction in muscles by porous ceramics has been reported to be a real phenomenon. In this study, osteoinduction in connective tissues was found in highly porous hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics with large specific surface areas. We have developed the combination method of the partial dissolution-precipitation (PDP) technique involving the stirring-supersonic treatment in 1.7 × 10⁻² N HNO₃ solution containing Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻ to improve the surface and the bulk of commercially available synthetic HAp block (82.5% in porosity, 50–300 µm in pore size). The modified HAp was named as a partially dissolved and precipitated HAp (PDP-HAp). The PDP-HAp exhibited the porosities of 85–90%, the macropore sizes of 50–200 µm, and the specific surface areas of 1.0–2.0 m²/g, with microcracks. The aim of this study was to observe bone induction by the PDP-HAp with or without BMP-2 in scalp tissues of four-week-old rats. Young rats were divided into the PDP-HAp alone group and the PDP-HAp/BMP-2 group for a long-term observation. In the PDP-HAp group, bone induction occurred inside the many pores at nine months, and the ratio of induced bone was 12.0%. In the PDP-HAp/BMP-2 group, bone induction occurred in almost all pores at three months, and compact bone was found at nine months. The ratios of induced bone were 77.0% at three months and 86.0% at nine months. We believe that osteoinduction by the PDP-HAp might be different from the process of BMP-loaded HAp-induced bone formation, because the PDP-HAp has osteogenic microporous compartments with partially absorbable HAp crystals. The PDP technique may contribute to create bioceramics with osteoinductive property for bone regenerative medicine.

Comparison of the wound healing efficacy of polyglycolic acid sheets with fibrin glue and gelatin sponge dressings in a rat cranial periosteal defect model

Oral surgical procedures occasionally require removal of the periosteum due to lesions, and these raw bone surfaces are prone not only to infection but also to scar formation during secondary healing. The objective of this study was to identify successful methods for reconstruction using periosteal defect dressings. We created 1-cm2 defects in the skin and cranial periosteum of 10-week-old male Wistar rats under isoflurane anesthesia. The animals were assigned to three defect treatment groups: (1) polyglycolic acid sheets with fibrin glue dressing (PGA-FG), (2) Spongel® gelatin sponge dressing (GS), and (3) open wound (control). Postoperative wound healing was histologically evaluated at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The moist conditions maintained by the GS and PGA-FG treatments protected the bone surface from the destructive effects of drying and infection. Complete wound healing was observed in the GS group but not for all animals in the PGA-FG and control groups. Histologically, osteoblast proliferation on bone surfaces and complete epithelialization with adnexa were observed in the GS group at 6 weeks after surgery. In contrast, PGA sheets that had not been absorbed inhibited osteoblast proliferation and delayed wound healing in the PGA-FG group. Wound surface dressings maintain a moist environment that promotes wound healing, but PGA materials may not be suitable for cases involving exposed periosteum or bone surfaces due to the observed scar formation and foreign-body reaction.

The effect of 4-hexylresorcinol on xenograft degradation in a rat calvarial defect model

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate xenograft degradation velocity when treated with 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR).

Methods

The scapula of a cow was purchased from a local grocery, and discs (diameter 8 mm, thickness 1 mm) were prepared by trephine bur. Discs treated with 4HR were used as the experimental group. Untreated discs were used as the control. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), antibacterial test, endotoxin test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed on the discs. In vivo degradation was evaluated by the rat calvarial defect model.

Results

The XRD and FT-IR results demonstrated successful incorporation of 4HR into the bovine bone. The experimental disc showed antibacterial properties. The endotoxin test yielded results below the level of endotoxin contamination. In the SEM exam, the surface of the experimental group showed needle-shaped crystal and spreading of RAW264.7 cells. In the animal experiments, the amount of residual graft was significantly smaller in the experimental group compared to the control group (P = 0.003).

Conclusions

In this study, 4HR was successfully incorporated into bovine bone, and 4HR-incorporated bovine bone had antibacterial properties. In vivo experiments demonstrated that 4HR-incorporated bovine bone showed more rapid degradation than untreated bovine bone.

Reconstruction of radial bone defect using gelatin sponge and a BMP-2 combination graft

Many bioactive molecules like recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) have been developed for mineralized bone grafts, for which proper scaffolds are necessary to successfully apply the bioactive molecules. In this study, we tested the osteogenic efficacy of rhBMP-2 produced in-house in combination with gelatin sponge as the scaffold carrier in a rabbit radial defect model. The efficacy of the rhBMP-2 was determined by alkaline phosphatase activity assay of C2C12 cells. Two groups of ten rabbits each were treated with rhBMP-2/gelatin sponge, or gelatin sponge only. At 4 weeks, rhBMP-2/gelatin sponge grafts showed more bone regeneration than gelatin sponge grafts, as determined by X-ray radiography, micro-computed tomography, and histological analyses. At 8 weeks, rhBMP-2/gelatin sponge grafts exerted much stronger osteogenic effects. The study demonstrates the improved osteogenic efficacy of the rhBMP-2/gelatin sponge grafts in a rabbit radial bone defect model acting as a bone-inductive material. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(6): 328-333]