title: Cranioplasty Using a Novel Osteoconductive Scaffold and Platelet Gel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Commonly used materials for cranioplasty include autogenous bone grafts, methyl methacrylate, and titanium mesh. We evaluated a novel osteoconductive scaffold [N-isopropylacrylamide cross-linked with acrylic acid using γ-rays (ANa powder)] mixed with platelet gel for cranioplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  ANa powder mixed with platelet gel was implanted into a 15 × 15-mm, full-thickness calvarial bone defect in 5 New Zealand white rabbits. ANa powder mixed with phosphate-buffered saline was implanted in 5 rabbits. The calvarial bone defect was left unreconstructed in another 5 rabbits. Twelve weeks after surgery, computed tomography examination was used to evaluate the radiographic evidence of bone healing in vivo. Bone specimens were then retrieved for histologic study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ANa scaffold mixed with platelet gel is biocompatible, biodegradable, and both osteoconductive and osteoinductive, leading to progressive growth of new bone into the calvarial bone defect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of this novel osteoconductive scaffold combined with osteoinductive platelet gel offers a valuable alternative for the reconstruction of calvarial bone defects.
authors.affiliation: From the *Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University; †Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology; and ‡Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei; §Department of Dermatology,Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei; ∥Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan. Taoyuan; ¶Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli; and #Department of Material Engineering, Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Guang-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kuang-Ling
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Wei-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Te-Hsing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hsu-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jui-Che
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Tim-Mo
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000178:Acrylamides; D000179:Acrylates; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001792:Blood Platelets; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D005782:Gels; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012886:Skull / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D000179:Acrylates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D005782:Gels; C067295:N-isopropylacrylamide; C036658:acrylic acid