2007 Volume 53 Issue 10 Pages 588-593
This experimental study evaluated bone formation in response to hydroxyapatite-poly (D, L-lactic-coglycolic acid)(HAP-PLGA) composite scaffold in rabbits. HAP-PLGA composite scaffold was prepared by a solvent-casting particulate leaching method. A cylindrical bone defect was created in the tibia of rabbits and was filled with HAP-PLGA composite scaffold and control PLGA scaffold, respectively. Three and 6 weeks after implantion, the implantion sites were evaluated by Micro-focused X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analysis. After 3 weeks, bone had infiltrated from the periphery of the defects in both scaffolds, although there was less identifiable bone at the center of the defects. Histological investigations revealed that cortical sites of HAP-PLGA composite scaffold were filled with bone tissue 6 weeks after implantation, whereas those of PLGA scaffold were filled with no bone tissue. Therefore, we conclude that HAP-PLGA composite scaffold enables bone tissue to grow inside. HAP-PLGA composite scaffold may be an ideal scaffold for bone regeneration and bone tissue engineering.
