title: Development of a ceramic device for the continuous local delivery of steroids.
abstract: Testosterone has been shown to stimulate bone healing. However, large doses of testosterone have been associated with liver damage and prostate enlargement. Sustained release of testosterone by a device placed next to a bone fracture could deliver effective amounts of the steroid necessary for bone healing without the adverse side effects associated with oral delivery or intramuscular injection. The release of 1 mg of testosterone into 1 ml of 50% ethanol from one-hour calcined hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics (n = 6) and twelve-hour calcined HA ceramics (n = 6) was measured over four days. The twelve-hour calcined HA ceramics exhibited a consistently slower testosterone release. A 200mg HA/0.1% PLA/gentamicin (1mg) ceramic cylinder containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg testosterone was placed adjacent to a 4 x 1 x 1 mm femoral defect created in four equal groups of twenty-seven castrated male Sprague Dawley rats. After four weeks, none of the ceramics contained any residual testosterone. Histological examination showed that the traumatized bone of the animals implanted with testosterone-containing ceramics healed faster for the first four weeks than the controls. This data suggests that the twelve-hour calcined HA should be used to extend the release of testosterone to enhance healing of traumatized bone.
authors.affiliation: University of Dayton, OH 45469, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zafirau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Billotte
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bajpai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002516:Ceramics; D004343:Drug Implants; D017886:Durapatite; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D013739:Testosterone; D017886:Durapatite