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The treatment of segmental bone defects in rabbit tibiae with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded gelatin/hydroxyapatite “cryogel” scaffold

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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a novel hydroxyapatite containing gelatin scaffold—with and without local vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) administration—as the synthetic graft material in treatment of critical-sized bone defects. An experimental nonunion model was established by creating critical-sized (10 mm. in length) bone defects in the proximal tibiae of 30 skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits. Following tibial intramedullary fixation, the rabbits were grouped into three: The defects were left empty in the first (control) group, the defects were grafted with synthetic scaffolds in the second group, and synthetic scaffolds loaded with VEGF were administered at bone defects in the third group. Five rabbits in each group were killed on 6th and 12th weeks, and new bone growth was assessed radiologically, histologically and with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). At 6 weeks, VEGF-administered group had significantly better scores than the other two groups. The second group also had significantly better scores than the control group. At 12 weeks, while no significant difference was noted between the second and third groups, these two groups both had significantly better scores in all criteria compared with the control group. There were no signs of complete fracture healing in the control group. The administration of hydroxyapatite containing gelatin scaffold yielded favorable results in grafting the critical-sized bone defects in this experimental model. The local administration of VEGF on the graft had a positive effect in the early phase of fracture healing.

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Acknowledgments

This experimental research was performed in Gazi University Medical School, Animal Experiments Laboratory and was funded by Gazi University, Department of Scientific Research Projects with the project number SBE-1/2009/47.

Conflict of interest

No benefits in any form have been or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Burak Yagmur Ozturk

  2. Chemical Engineering Department and Bioengineering Division, Center for Bioengineering and Biyomedtek, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Ilyas Inci & Erhan Piskin

  3. Bioengineering Department, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Sinan Egri

  4. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

    Akif Muhtar Ozturk & Haluk Yetkin

  5. Department of Histology and Embriology, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

    Guleser Goktas, Cigdem Elmas & Deniz Erdogan

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  1. Burak Yagmur Ozturk
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  2. Ilyas Inci
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  9. Deniz Erdogan
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Correspondence to Burak Yagmur Ozturk.

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Disclaimer: We hereby state that all ethical, legal and animal rights wise considerations were fulfilled during and after this study.

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Ozturk, B.Y., Inci, I., Egri, S. et al. The treatment of segmental bone defects in rabbit tibiae with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded gelatin/hydroxyapatite “cryogel” scaffold. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 23, 767–774 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-012-1070-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-012-1070-4

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