IN VIVO BONE REPAIR USING AN UNSINTERED HYDROXYAPATITE/POLY-L-LACTIDE COMPOSITE AND TITANIUM ALLOY IN RABBITS

IntroductionHydroxyapatite and poly-L-lactide (HA/PLLA) composites are osteoconductive and biodegradable. They have already been used clinically to treat fractured bones by inducing osteosynthesis and serving as the bone filling material. During revision of total hip arthroplasty, we have grafted bone onto the bone defect and covered it with an HA/PLLA mesh instead of using a metal mesh on the non-load bearing portion of the cup (Figure 1). However, whether the interface between the HA/PLLA and the titanium alloy cup was stable remains unclear.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine and compare the histological osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity of HA/PLLA and titanium alloy.MethodsSemicylindrical samples (diameter: 3 mm; height: 5 mm) were fabricated from a composite unsintered-HA/PLLA containing 40% fine HA particles and from titanium alloy (Ti-6AL-4V). These two samples were combined to form one cylinder (Figure 2). Defects 3 mm in diameter were drilled into both femoral condyles of ni...