[Experimental study on bone formation in a denser coral used for repairing cortical defects in dogs]

The present study was designed to investigate a coral skeleton, Favites, which was originated from the reef builders in Hainan island, as a bone substitute. The coral Favites, like porites, is composed of anagonite (CaCO3), but contains less volume of porosity, higher strength and denser construction than Porites. After implanted into cortical bone defects in mandibles and femurs of dogs, skeleton fragment of coral Favites demonstrated good biocompatibility and biodegradability. A resorption of the implant and a simultaneous apposition of new bone was observed. Coral Favites was totally replaced by newly formed bone after a period of time from 6-8 months. Compared to Porites, Favites has a lower rate of resorption and therefore the defects of host bone are repaired completely without any lost of bone volume. The results showed that coral Favites may be used as a bone substitute for the segmental defects of mandibles.