Abstract:
The ideal bone substitute material should be biocompatible, osteoinductive, osteoconductive, resorbable, malleable, synthetically fabricable, storable, re-sterilizable, and cost-effective. Although different materials have been studied and applied for bone reconstruction
procedures, none has met all requirements mentioned. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate
the behavior and the biocompatibility of dual setting alpha-tricalcium phosphate cement (α- TCPdp) implant, α-TCP with addition of Poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic-acid)/Poly(isoprene)
(α-TCPdp + PLGA/PI), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polyamide (PA) in rabbit
jaw. The polymers showed higher mean amounts of neoformed bone, with significant
differences when compared to alpha-tricalcium phosphate cement implants. The number of
blood vessels was similar between the implants, with the exception of α-TCPdp + PLGA/PI
(less quantity) and the PA (greater quantity) in the 60-day postoperative period. The polymers
differed from each other only in the initial period (30 days), in which the ABS had a greater
amount of bone tissue. Concerning the cements, they behaved similarly in all evaluation
protocols throughout the experimental periods (30, 60 and 120 days after surgery). In the
evaluation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) it was observed replacement of the
biomaterial of the alpha-tricalcium phosphate implants by bone tissue and filling of the ABS
and PA pores by compact bone neoformation and portions of secondary bone. The implants
proved to be biocompatible, osteoconductive and osteointegrated. In addition to these
characteristics, α-TCPdp and α-TCPdp + PLGA/PI presented themselves as osteoinducers, with degradation of their structures as new bone was deposited along their surfaces. Therefore, the evaluated implants have potential for clinical use.
