An experimental study on the effect of calcium sulfate on bone regeneration

ABSTRACT

Calcium sulfate(plaster of Paris) has been used in dental and orthopedic surgery for about 100 years. It is well known that the plaster is bioresorbable, biocompatible, defect conformable and moldable. The purpose of this study is to evaluate two effects of calcium sulfate on bone regeneration, that is, the effects of graft materials and barrier for bone regeneration. Cortical bone defects were formed for recipient site on the femurs of 19 Sprague-Dawley rats. The autogenous particulated bone and calcium sulfate were grafted to the defects. Calcium sulfate paste, Gore-TexR membrane(W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES LTD., U.S.A.) and rubber sheet were used for the shielding materials. The results were as follows 1. Calcium sulfate that had been grafted in the cortical bone defect was almost resorbed before bone remodeling, resultantly had little effect on bone regeneration. 2. Resoption process of calcium sulfate grafted on the bone grafting area tends to be accelerated, as being divided into numerous small particles progressively. Under the situation where the calcium sulfate was protected, with the coverage of fascia, Gore-TexR membrane or rubber sheet, new bone formation was confirmed with presence of calcium sulfate particles over 6 weeks after grafting. 3. In the case of calcium sulfate covered with membrane, distinct bone formation was observed on the marrow space of femur adjacent to the plaster mass. 4. Rubber shielded plaster group revealed new bone trabeculae under the rubber sheet, but it showed ischemic degeneration of superficial cortical bone.