title: Elastomeric enriched biodegradable polyurethane sponges for critical bone defects: a successful case study reducing donor site morbidity.
abstract: Bone substitutes have been a critical issue as the natural source can seldom provide enough bone to support full healing. No bone substitute complies with all necessary functions and characteristics that an autograft does. Polyurethane sponges have been used as a surgical alternative to cancellous bone grafts for critical bone defect donor sites. Critical bone defects were created on the tibial tuberosity and iliac crest using an ovine model. In group I (control-untreated), no bone regeneration was observed in any animal. In group II (defects left empty but covered with a microporous polymeric membrane), the new bone bridged the top ends in all animals. In groups III and IV, bone defects were implanted with polyurethane scaffolds modified with biologically active compounds, and bone regeneration was more efficient than in group II. In groups III and IV there were higher values of bone regeneration specific parameters used for evaluation (P < 0.05) although the comparison between these groups was not possible. The results obtained in this study suggest that biodegradable polyurethane substitutes modified with biologically active substances may offer an alternative to bone graft, reducing donor site morbidity associated with autogenous cancellous bone harvesting.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM); School of Science and Technology (ECT), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal. clavrador@uevora.pt.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2927-9071
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavrador
authors.affiliation: Institute of National Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecidos Duros - Area of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Av. Bissaya Barreto, Blocos de Celas, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brites
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Science (ICAAM); School of Science and Technology (ECT), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: PolyBiomat Consulting, Zielona Gora, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwester
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gogolewski
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D018483:Diaphyses / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D007085:Ilium / Q000601:surgery; D008422:Materials Testing; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D012756:Sheep; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D020724:Elastomers; D011140:Polyurethanes