Turkish Neurosurgery 2020 , Vol 30 , Num 2
Comparative Analysis of Using Bone Graft, Hydroxyapatite Coralline (Biocoral®) and Porous Polyethylene (Medpor®) Implants for Cranioplasty in a Rat Model of Cranial Bone Defect
Ayhan OKUMUS1,Erdem GUVEN1,Ismail ERMIS1,Vakur OLGAC2,Atilla ARINCI1,Metin ERER1
1Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey
2Istanbul University Oncology Institute, Division of Tumor Pathology, Istanbul, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.26847-19.3 AIM: To compare the efficacy of bone graft, hydroxyapatite coralline (Biocoral®), and porous polyethylene (Medpor®) implants for cranioplasty in a rat model of cranial bone defects.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Two parietal bone defects were created in each of 16 male Sprague–Dawley rats. One was repaired with a bone graft using bone removed from the contralateral defect, and the other was filled with either Medpor® or Biocoral® (each n=8, with the repair on the left in four and the right in the other four). The rats were sacrificed at either 4 or 8 weeks, and implant stability, volumetric changes, and histological parameters were compared between the three materials.

RESULTS: At 8 weeks, scores for bone formation (p=0.003), healing of the defects (p=0.008), and material resorption (p=0.010) were higher for the bone grafts than for Biocoral® and Medpor®, whereas the fibrosis scores were significantly higher for Medpor® and Biocoral® than for the bone grafts (p=0.004). The other parameters were similar between the three materials at 8 weeks, except for significantly higher inflammatory cell infiltration with Medpor® than with Biocoral® and bone grafts (p=0.005).

CONCLUSION: Implant stability scores were similar for the three implant materials. However, there was better bone formation and healing of the defects with bone grafts, a lower risk of resorption and greater fibrosis induction with Medpor® and Biocoral®, and less volumetric reduction with Medpor®. Keywords : Cranioplasty, Bone graft, Medpor®, Biocoral®, Implant stability, Rats

Corresponding author : Ayhan OKUMUS, ayhan@ayhanokumus.com.tr