Effect of bovine bone morphogenetic proteins on radius fracture healing in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of bovine bone morphogenetic proteins (bBMPs) bound to hydroxyapatite plus collagen in the healing of unstable radius fractures.


METHODS
A transverse fracture was induced at the mid of the diaphysis in both radii on 15 Norfolk rabbits with average age of 5.5 months and 3.5 kg. A mixture of bBMPs bound to thin powdered hydroxyapatite (bBMP-HA) and bovine collagen as agglutinant was applied to the right radius fracture site. The left radius fracture was considered control and no treatment was used. After 30, 60 and 90 days (5 rabbits/period) the rabbits were euthanized and the radii were collected for histological analysis.


RESULTS
The descriptive histological analysis revealed that repair was similar for both forelimbs. The histomorphometric analysis showed that the mean area of newly formed bone was 867442.16 mm2, 938743.00 mm2 and 779621.06 mm2 for the control forelimbs, and 841118.47 mm2, 788038.76 mm2 and 618587.24 mm2 for the treated forelimbs at 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. Thus the newly formed bone area was 12.17% larger in the forelimbs treated with bBMP-HA/collagen than in the control forelimbs (p<0.05, Tukey test) in the 60-day period after surgery. In both forelimbs the newly formed bone area increased throughout the experimental period until the complete fracture healing.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the result obtained here we concluded that bBMP-HA/collagen induced a lower but significant improvement in fracture consolidation.
Lima
Alfredo Feio da Maia
AF
Department of Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. alflima@hotmail.com
Rahal
Sheila Canevese
SC
Volpi
Reinaldo dos Santos
Rdos S
Granjeiro
José Mauro
JM
Taga
Rumio
R
Cestari
Tania Maria
TM
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D017886:Durapatite / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D003094:Collagen; D017886:Durapatite