Evaluation of bone regeneration by porous alpha-tricalcium phosphate/atelocollagen sponge composite in critical-sized rat calvarial defects

Abstract

In periodontal surgery, autogenous bones are frequently used for bone transplantation. However, the application of autogenous bone is limited by the lack of sufficient donor sites and high possibility of resorption. In this study, we attempted to use the -tricalcium phosphate/atelocollagen sponge composite (α-TCP/CS) to repair rat calvarial defects compared with that using autogenous bone. For the experiments, rats were divided into three groups. One group was filled with α-TCP/CS. Another was filled with autogenous bone, and control group remained unfilled. The rats were euthanized at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after surgery, after which the calvarial bone was scanned by micro-CT, and the histological examination was performed for evaluation of the bone tissue structures. In vivo micro-CT images at 8 weeks after surgery revealed that, in the α-TCP/CS group, the regenerative bone area was larger than in the autogenous bone group. Histological analysis revealed that α- TCP/CS was mostly absorbed at 8 weeks and a contiguous new bone was observed. This study demonstrated that composite sponges created from porous α-TCP/CS composite particles and atelocollagen were adaptable for treating bone defects.