Natural oyster shell nanocomposite material for bone defects / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Oyster shels and other shels of marine organisms can transfer into mineral salts, which is closer to the actual situation of human being. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of natural oyster shel nanocomposite material for bone defect repair. METHODS:Thirty adult big-eared white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups after establishment of bilateral radial bone defect models experimental group and control group were given implantation of natural oyster shel nanocomposite material and injectable calcium sulfate bone graft, respectively. X-ray examination was done at weeks 2, 8, 12 after implantation to understand the osseointegration of bone grafts. Bilateral radial bone specimens were taken at 12 weeks to detect bending strength using biomechanical testing system and quantitatively analyze the osteogenesis using a color image analyzer. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 2 weeks after implantation, the bone mineral density of bone grafts was lower in the two groups than the normal value, there was a clear boundary between the defect and graft, and no bone repair was found. At 8 weeks after implantation, the bone grafts were covered with thick soft tissues in the two groups, and the vascular component was reduced dramaticaly in the experimental group. At 12 weeks after implantation, the bone grafts were closely connected to the adjacent tissues in the two groups, with no boundary; the radius surface in the experimental group recovered to the normal level, and exhibited no difference from the normal tissues in aspects of morphology, texture and structure, but in the control group, there was stil a clear projected boundary. The bending strength and osteogenic amount of the radius were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that the natural oyster shel nanocomposite material for bone defect repair can have a good blending strength of the radius that can promotenew bone formation.