Abstract
The biological effects of metals were studied by an organ culture method using chick embryo femora, of which usefulness was investigated to evaluate the biocompatibility of biomaterials.Wires of copper, iron, nickel(>99.99% purity), chromium(>98% purity)and cobalt-chromium alloy(40% cobalt, 20% chromium, 16% iron, 15% nickel, 7% molybdenum and 2% others)were processed to form test pieces of 0.30 to 0.35mm in diameter and 1.5mm in length.A pair of femora were excised from a 9-day chick embryo.The wire was inserted into the distal epiphysis of a femur and the other femur was used as the control, which were cultured at 37℃ for 7 days rolling at 15 rph.The growth and the differentiation of the femora were predominantly inhibited in the femora into which copper, iron or nickel wire was inserted.The femora with insertion of chromium or cobalt-chromium wire showed neither growth inhibition nor suppression of differentiation, although necrosis was observed in the tissue adjacent to chromium wire.The organ culture method using chick embryo femora can be applied for an easy and short-term test to examine the biological effects of biomaterials on the growth and the differentiation of animal tissues.
