Bone regenerationvia a novel honeycomb-like polycaprolactone-calcium silicate crystal compound scaffold in extreme-sized cranial defects / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Polycaprolactone as a polymer material has poor biocompatibility, and needs to be combined with other natural biological materials to increase biocompatibility, thereby promoting tissue regeneration.OBJECTIVE:To develop a novel honeycomb-like polycaprolactone-calcium silicate crystal compound scaffold, and observe its osteogenic effects in Sprague-Dawley rats with skull defects.METHODS: Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were used to make skull defect models and randomized into three groups blank control group with no implantation, control group with implantation of normal polycaprolactone-calcium silicate crystal compound scaffold, and experimental group with implantation of the novel honeycomb-like polycaprolactone- calcium silicate crystal compound scaffold. Six weeks after implantation, bone regeneration effect in the defect region measuredvia X-ray scanning, Micro-CT three-dimensional reconstruction, and histological analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) X-ray scan in all the rats, the size of bone defect was reduced, the fracture line became vague, and the marginal bone density was increased. The percentage of new bone area was highest in the experimental group, successively followed by the control group and blank control group. (2) Micro-CT three-dimensional reconstruction new bones in the blank control group were mainly distributed on the both sides of the defect, but those in the control and experimental groups distributed in the defect region. The bone regeneration capacity was ranked as follows experimental group > control group > blank control group (P < 0.05). (3) Histological analysis: new bone ingrowth was visible in all the three groups to different extents. Compared with the other two groups, new bone formation and microvessel density were significantly higher in the experimental group (P < 0.05). To conclude, this novel honeycomb-like polycaprolactone-calcium silicate crystal compound scaffold can obviously promote bone formation in the skull defect region.