title: Graft perforations favor osteoinduction. Studies of rabbit cortical grafts sterilized with ethylene oxide.
abstract: The healing of freeze-dried, ethylene oxide sterilized, segmental, allogenic cortical bone grafts was investigated in 15 rabbits using a 2-cm ulnar diaphyseal defect. Five different groups of bone grafts were evaluated: 1) unperforated undemineralized, 2) perforated undemineralized, 3) unperforated demineralized, 4) perforated demineralized, and 5) perforated demineralized grafts enclosed by silicone rubber (Silastic) sheets. There were 3 animals in each group. At 18 days, the study was terminated, and the implants were examined using radiographs and qualitative histologic preparations. We observed that healing of perforated demineralized bone was superior to unperforated demineralized bone, that undemineralized bone was partially sequestered in reactive lacunae, and that perforations in demineralized bone became centers of osteoinduction. Demineralized bone sterilized with ethylene oxide by this method vigorously formed new bone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, East Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sigholm
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gendler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McKellop
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarmiento
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005027:Ethylene Oxide; D005260:Female; D005612:Freeze Drying; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D011677:Punctures; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D005027:Ethylene Oxide