title: Dose-dependent reduction of bone inductive properties by ethylene oxide.
abstract: Sterilisation of demineralised bone matrix with ethylene oxide has been claimed to destroy the ability of bone matrix to induce new bone formation on intramuscular implantation. Other workers have routinely used ethylene oxide sterilised bone matrix for assays in rodents without detrimental effects. We studied the effects of various lengths of exposure to ethylene oxide gas, and found that bone induction properties are destroyed in a dose-dependent manner. After a short exposure, bone induction properties were moderately diminished. However, this short ethylene oxide treatment did not kill Bacillus subtilis spores. A sterilisation procedure that killed these spores rendered the implants incapable of bone-induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aspenberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johnsson
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Thorngren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D001857:Bone Matrix / Q000382:microbiology / Q000637:transplantation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005027:Ethylene Oxide