title: COMPARATIVE STUDY ON USE OF PLATELET-RICH PLASMA ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH ALPHA-TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE CEMENT FOR BONE REPAIR IN RATS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of alpha-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) cement combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on osteogenesis, and to compare the results with use of PRP alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A bilateral defect was produced in rat femurs and was filled with one of two types of treatments (PRP or α-TCP + PRP). The outcomes were evaluated after four and eight weeks. Radiographic images provided values for the lesion area, and histology (picrosirius staining) indicated the area of new bone formation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The means relating to the lesion area of the α-TCP + PRP group (2.64 ± 2.07 and 1.91 ± 0.93 mm(2), after four and eight weeks, respectively) showed numerically better but non-significant results (p > 0.05) than those seen in the PRP group (5.59 mm 2 ± 2.69 and 3.23 ± 1.46 mm 2, after four and eight weeks, respectively). The mean new bone formation rates were 62.7% ± 12.1 and 79.01% ± 6.25 in the PRP group, and 73.3% ± 12.7 and 85.86% ± 10.45 in α-TCP + PRP group, after four and eight weeks, respectively (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data from this study suggest that treatment with α-TCP cement combined with PRP does not show any significant difference in comparison with PRP alone. However, there is a possible early effect on bone regeneration when the two biomaterials are applied together.
authors.affiliation: MSc in Health Sciences. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Deise
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sebben
authors.affiliation: PhD in Nuclear Biosciences and Medical Physics. Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.affiliation: BSc in Biomedicine, Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Peres
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: MD. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Alexi de
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: MD. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Assad
authors.affiliation: Professor, Coordinator of the Biomaterials Laboratory and Head of the Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luís Alberto Dos
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Full Professor, Unifesp; Professor in the Department of Surgery, FAMED, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS); Heads of the Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery Clinic, Hospital São Lucas, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jefferson Braga
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Silva
keywords: Animals; Bone Substitutes; Growth Factor