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Degradation of poly‐ L / DL ‐lactide versus TCP composite pins: A three‐year animal study
Author(s) -
Prokop Axel,
Höfl Andreas,
Hellmich Martin,
Jubel Axel,
Andermahr Jonas,
Emil Rehm Klaus,
Hahn Ulrich
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.30300
Subject(s) - osseointegration , composite number , implant , materials science , degradation (telecommunications) , femoral condyle , lactide , fixation (population genetics) , condyle , asymptomatic , animal study , dentistry , biomedical engineering , surgery , medicine , anatomy , composite material , polymer , cartilage , copolymer , telecommunications , population , environmental health , computer science
Biodegradable polylactide implants allow secure fixation of osteochondral fractures. This quasirandomized parallel‐group animal study investigates whether a composite implant of poly‐ L / DL ‐lactide (PLDLLA) with additional 10% β‐tricalcium phosphate produces an osteoconductive effect, whether the admixture positively influences implant degradation (assessed by comparing time to implant degradation), and whether the pin sites of degraded implants are replaced with bone tissue. On 36 medial femoral condyles of sheep, osteotomies were fixed with either three PLDLLA pins or three composite pins. At 3, 18, and 36 months, the pin sites were measured histologically and the state of degradation assessed according to Pistner's classification. All fractures healed without clinically relevant complications and without displacement. Both pin types led to asymptomatic pin‐site enlargement at 18 months, which disappeared by 36 months. At 18 months, 14 of 18 PLDLLA pins were no longer evident, whereas 16 of 18 composite pins showed only peripheral degradation. By 36 months, all implants from both groups were completely degraded and replaced with scar (2/18) or bone tissue (16/18). At 36 months there was no evidence for significant improvement of either degradation performance or osseointegration through use of the 10% TCP composite mixture. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2005