2005 Volume 18 Issue 2 Pages 264-272
We prepared two types of bone defect fillers (BDFs) which were made from a mixture of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) with chitosan or alginate in solution. A solidifier was added to the mixtures. These solutions were then kneaded to be solidified. The solid substances, named chitosan-BDF and alginate-BDF, were implanted in femurs of guinea pig to study the effects of the BDFs on the processes of bone formation by EPMA.
The alginate-BDF was surrounded with growing bone from all directions at 6 months after the operation and seemed to have an affinity to the tissues. However, no degraded or absorbed form of the BDF was observed.
In contrast, most of the chitosan-BDF was replaced by growing bone at 6 months. The adjacent part of the BDF to surrounding cortical bone was especially well-absorbed, probably due to being involved in a reabsorption process after ossification.
According to the data, both BDFs were shown to have excellent mechanical properties for filling bone defects. Especially, the chitosan-BDF would be useful as bone defect filler because of its induction of ossification and its smooth absorption.
