Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Calcium phosphate bone cement (CPC) is a new-type bone substitute material, but it has slow degradation and poor mechanical properties.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of CPC combined with autologous vascularized periosteum in repairing segmental bone defects.
METHODS: Totally 72 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: non-CPC groups with/without periosteum retention and CPC groups with/without periosteum retention. The specimens were tested by general, radiology, histology and biomechanics tests at weeks 4, 12 and 24 after repair.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Non-CPC groups: the callus was found at week 12, as well as bone sclerosis and medullary cavity closure was seen at week 24 in non-periosteum retention group; a spot of calluses was found at week 4, and callus were increased at week 12, as well as oblique new bone was formed at week 24 in periosteum retention group. CPC groups: in the non-periosteum retention group, boundaries between material and bone end were found obviously at week 4, and the fuzzy decomposition was seen at week 12, besides, materials and bone end formed bony connection at week 24; in the periosteum retention group, no degradation in materials was found at week 4 and material degradation were seen at week 12, moreover, material absorption was more and the medullary cavity was recanalized at week 24. CPC groups were performed three point bending biomechanics test at week 24, and the results showed that the maximum load of the non-periosteum retention group was lower than that of the periosteum retention group (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that CPC can promote bone growth effectively, and autologous periosteum is helpful to calcium absorption and promotes bone formation.