The use of porous beta-tricalcium phosphate blocks with platelet-rich plasma as an onlay bone graft biomaterial.
BACKGROUND
An experimental study of rabbit calvaria evaluated the suitability of porous beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) block as a biomaterial for onlay bone grafting and determined whether the addition of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can accelerate bone formation inside the pores of the beta-TCP block.


METHODS
In eight rabbits, the calvarium was exposed, and the marrow was penetrated. The beta-TCP blocks were made of Ca3(CO4)3 (porosity, 75%; diameter, 8 mm; thickness, 5 mm). For the experimental group, the blocks were treated with PRP; for the control group, the blocks were treated with venous blood only. Each block was placed in the bone, attached with a titanium screw, and covered with a cutaneous flap. The animals were sacrificed after 3 months, and the tissue ingrowth into the blocks was euthanized.


RESULTS
Histologic and histomorphometric measurements demonstrated that there was no inflammatory infiltration around the blocks in either group. New bone formation inside the blocks originated from the parent bone in both groups. The mineralized bone generated tended to climb along the inner walls of the block. In addition, mineralized bone formation was noted around the titanium screw. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the relative amounts of newly generated tissue and mineralized bone generated in the blocks.


CONCLUSIONS
Porous beta-TCP block is a promising biomaterial for clinical situations requiring bone augmentation; however, the addition of PRP did not induce significantly more new bone formation.
Tamura
Kazuaki
K
Department of Periodontology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Sato
Shuichi
S
Kishida
Mamoru
M
Asano
Shoichi
S
Murai
Masakazu
M
Ito
Koichi
K
D000818:Animals; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D008297:Male; D010012:Osteogenesis; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma / Q000502:physiology*; D016062:Porosity; D011817:Rabbits; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018786:Bone Substitutes; D002130:Calcium Phosphates; C485817:beta-tricalcium phosphate