Effects of deer age on the physicochemical properties of deproteinized antler cancellous bone: an approach to optimize osteoconductivity of bone graft

In vivo evaluation of deer antler trabecular bone as a reconstruction material for bone defects

Availability of graft materials to fill up osseous defects has always been a concern in orthopaedic surgeries. Deer antler material is a primary bone structure that is easy to collect and could serve as a xenograft. This study examines the behaviour of red deer antler trabecular cylinders in critical size distal femoral epiphyseal defects in 11 rabbits, and evaluates the effect of the decellularization protocols. Two preparation regimes (A and B) were used, with and without lipids and proteins. Radiographs were taken immediately after surgery and after euthanasia 12 weeks post-implantation. Histological evaluation was performed on non-decalcified 10-μm sections with a van Gieson picro-fuchsin staining protocol. A region of interest was defined for each histological section, evaluating the inflammatory reaction, the fibrosis process, and the osteogenesis. Each histological section was microradiographed to evaluate bone contact, presence of synostosis, remodelling and ossification processes. All antler cylinders were successfully implanted. Final radiographic analysis demonstrated osteointegration of most implants at various stages. Light to moderate inflammation around the grafts was noted with only one case showing full encapsulation. A variable degree of intimacy between implant and host bone was evidenced, with bone remodelling and osteogenesis of various intensity being present in all implanted sites. No differences were found between group A and B. Removal of lipids and proteins in the grafts surprisingly did not seem to matter. Decellularization and sterilization protocols may be advocated. Although it presents several limitations, this study shows some promising results regarding antler trabecular bone osteointegration.

Structural and chemical features of xenograft bone substitutes: A systematic review of in vitro studies

Xenograft bone substitutes are obtained from different species and prepared by various procedures including heat treatment, hydrazine, and chemical and hydrothermal methods. These grafts are utilized widely because of similar structure and properties to human bone, proper bone formation, and biocompatibility. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate different xenografts from structural and chemical aspects. In vitro studies published in English language, which assessed xenografts' features, met the inclusion criteria. Electronic search of four databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science and a hand search until September 2020 were performed. The irrelevant studies were the ones which focused on cell adhesion and effect of growth factors. Finally, 25 studies were included in the review. Nineteen studies used bovine xenografts, and 12 studies applied heat treatment as their preparation method. Particles showed various morphologies, and their largest size was observed at 5 mm. From 18 studies, it is found that the smallest pore size was 1.3 µm and the highest pore size was 1000 µm. There is large heterogeneity of porosity, crystallinity, Ca/P ratio, and osteogenesis based on the preparation method. Proper porosity and the connection between pores affect bone regeneration. Therefore, biomaterial selection and outcomes evaluation should be interpreted separately.

Bone Xenografts in Trauma and Orthopaedics (Analytical Review)

Purpose of the analytical review — to evaluate the application experience of bone xenografts in trauma and orthopaedics surgery. Methods. Data search was performed in the electronic databases of PubMed and eLIBRARY with depth of 20 years. Results. The authors identified 13 papers which described the application experience of bone xenografts in trauma surgery and orthopaedics. The highest efficiency (from 92 to 100%) was reported for cases of xenografts use to replace defects in intraarticular fractures and revision arthroplasty. Unsatisfactory outcomes were related to cases with no integration and graft rejection. The least efficiency (from 41,9 to 46,1%) was reported in reconstructive foot surgery. No effect of bone xenografts was observed for replacement of defects in cases of pseudoarthrosis. The most frequent complication was graft material infection. The summarized literature data provided the calculated share of complications following xenograft use of 7,53% (18 out of 239 cases, CI 5-95%, 4,53-11,21). Two areas were identified for improvement of technical and biological properties of bone xenografts: 1. Modification of original xeno-matrix (enhancement of purification technique, alteration of structure of chemical composition of the bone matrix); 2. Augmentation of matrix volume by additional elements (biologically active agents, stem cells). It’s noted that demand for xenografts in traumatology and orthopaedics can increase after refining and expanding the indications for clinical use. Conclusion. Bone xenografts used in the modern trauma surgery and orthopaedics to replace bone defects in revision arthroplasty as well as in certain fracture types. Such material is relatively safe and its ability to be modified allows to improve its biological properties.

Current Stage of Marine Ceramic Grafts for 3D Bone Tissue Regeneration

Bioceramic scaffolds are crucial in tissue engineering for bone regeneration. They usually provide hierarchical porosity, bioactivity, and mechanical support supplying osteoconductive properties and allowing for 3D cell culture. In the case of age-related diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, or other bone alterations as alveolar bone resorption or spinal fractures, functional tissue recovery usually requires the use of grafts. These bone grafts or bone void fillers are usually based on porous calcium phosphate grains which, once disposed into the bone defect, act as scaffolds by incorporating, to their own porosity, the intergranular one. Despite their routine use in traumatology and dental applications, specific graft requirements such as osteoinductivity or balanced dissolution rate are still not completely fulfilled. Marine origin bioceramics research opens the possibility to find new sources of bone grafts given the wide diversity of marine materials still largely unexplored. The interest in this field has also been urged by the limitations of synthetic or mammalian-derived grafts already in use and broadly investigated. The present review covers the current stage of major marine origin bioceramic grafts for bone tissue regeneration and their promising properties. Both products already available on the market and those in preclinical phases are included. To understand their clear contribution to the field, the main clinical requirements and the current available biological-derived ceramic grafts with their advantages and limitations have been collected.

Sika deer antler as a novel model to investigate dental implant healing: A pilot experimental study

Dental implants are important tools for restoring the loss of teeth. The rapid growth and periodic regeneration of antlers make Sika deer a good and less invasive alternative model for studying bone remodelling in mammals. We developed a special loading device for antlers and analysed the bone reaction around unloaded implants and under immediate loading conditions until osseointegration occurred. In micro-computed tomography images, the density of antler tissue around the implants increased as the loading time increased. This finding was histologically confirmed by the good osseointegration observed in unloaded and loaded specimens. Antler tissue displays a similar healing process to human bone. The use of an antler model is a promising alternative for implant studies that does not require animal sacrifice.

Biocompatibility and osteoconductivity of PLCL coated and noncoated xenografts: An in vitro and preclinical trial

BACKGROUND

Cells, scaffolds, and growth factors are the key components in bone tissue engineering. Scaffold composition, topography, and architecture influence the amount of regenerated bone in the implantation site. The aims of the study were to compare viability and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded onto two commercial xenografts: Bio-Oss (BO) and bioactive bone bovine (BB). Next, these materials were compared for histomorphometric bone formation in a socket preservation model in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MSCs were seeded onto monolayers of BO or BB granules. Cell viability and proliferation were evaluated after incubation of 0, 2, 20, and 48 h. A total of 24 Sprague Dawley rats underwent unilateral extraction of maxillary molars. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: natural healing (nongrafted socket) or socket preservation with either BO or BB. Rats were sacrificed after 8 weeks, and histomorphometric analysis was done to evaluate bone formation and residual scaffold at the extraction site.

RESULTS

Differences in the metabolic activity of MSCs that were seeded onto BO or BB was observed at 2 h after seeding: the metabolic activity was elevated compared to baseline in the BB (P = .046) and not changed in the BO wells (P = .84). After 20 h, the metabolic activity of MSCs seeded onto BO was decreasing (P = .005), while cell viability was not changed in the BB group (P = .356). Intergroup comparison revealed higher metabolic activity of MSCs seeded on BB after 48 h compared with BO (P = .016). The in vivo results demonstrated differences in socket healing between the groups: percentage of new bone was higher in the BB compared to BO group (39.1 ± 14.3 vs. 23.7 ± 10.8%, respectively, P = .096). Connective tissue portion was higher in the BO group compared with BB (73.7 ± 11.1 vs. 49.6 ± 13.7%, respectively, P = .018). Residual grafting martial was higher in the BB (11.34 ± 4.18 vs. 2.62 ± 1.23%, P = .011).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrating higher vitality and proliferation of MSCs seeded onto BB. Furthermore, following ridge preservation, higher percentage of new bone and lower residual scaffold were found in the BB compared with BO. This enhanced regenerative response might be the result of an enhancement of metabolic activity in cells attached to it. Further research will be needed to understand the precise mechanism.

Electroactive BaTiO3 nanoparticle-functionalized fibrous scaffolds enhance osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

It has been proven that the surface topographic cues of fiber arrangement can induce osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. However, this effect alone is weak and insufficient to meet the needs of regenerative medicine. In this work, electroactivity concept was introduced to enhance the osteoinductivity of fibrous scaffolds. The randomly oriented and aligned electroactive fibrous scaffolds of poly-(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) with incorporation of ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO₃ (BTO) nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by electrospinning. Physicochemical properties, including fiber morphology, microstructure, composition, thermal stability, surface roughness, and surface wettability, of these fibrous scaffolds were studied. The dielectric properties of the scaffolds were evaluated. The results showed that the randomly oriented BTO/PLLA composite fibrous scaffolds had the highest dielectric permittivity of 1.19, which is of the same order of magnitude as the natural bone. The combined effects of fiber orientation and electrical activity on the osteogenic responses of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were specifically investigated. Randomly oriented composite fibrous scaffolds significantly promoted polygonal spreading and encouraged early osteogenic differentiation in BM-MSCs, whereas aligned composite fibrous scaffolds promoted cell elongation and discouraged osteogenic differentiation. These results evidenced that randomly fiber orientation and biomimetic electric activity have combining effects on osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. Our findings indicate that coupling effects of multi-physical properties should be paid more attention to mimic the microenvironment for enhancing osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs.

Nanocomposite Membranes Enhance Bone Regeneration Through Restoring Physiological Electric Microenvironment

Physiological electric potential is well-known for its indispensable role in maintaining bone volume and quality. Although implanted biomaterials simulating structural, morphological, mechanical, and chemical properties of natural tissue or organ has been introduced in the field of bone regeneration, the concept of restoring physiological electric microenvironment remains ignored in biomaterials design. In this work, a flexible nanocomposite membrane mimicking the endogenous electric potential is fabricated to explore its bone defect repair efficiency. BaTiO3 nanoparticles (BTO NPs) were first coated with polydopamine. Then the composite membranes are fabricated with homogeneous distribution of Dopa@BTO NPs in poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) matrix. The surface potential of the nanocomposite membranes could be tuned up to -76.8 mV by optimizing the composition ratio and corona poling treatment, which conform to the level of endogenous biopotential. Remarkably, the surface potential of polarized nanocomposite membranes exhibited a dramatic stability with more than half of original surface potential remained up to 12 weeks in the condition of bone defect. In vitro, the membranes encouraged bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) activity and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, the membranes sustainably maintained the electric microenvironment giving rise to rapid bone regeneration and complete mature bone-structure formation. Our findings evidence that physiological electric potential repair should be paid sufficient attention in biomaterials design, and this concept might provide an innovative and well-suited strategy for bone regenerative therapies.