Laser-perforated membranous biomaterials induced pore size-dependent bone induction when used as a new BMP carrier

Previously we found that laser perforation of a collagen membrane (35 microm thickness, Koken Co., Tokyo) produced an effective bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) carrier, if the created pore sizes were larger than 0.5 mm. In this study we applied the same technique to create pores of 0.2 and 1.0 mm in a thicker (1.2 mm thickness) porous biodegradable membrane made of polylactic acid and an epsilon-caprolactone copolymer (PLA-CL) to obtain an effective membranous BMP carrier with higher mechanical strength. Pieces of PLA-CL (0.5 x 1.0 x 0.12 cm) combined with rhBMP-2 (5 microg) were implanted subcutaneously into rats and processed for analyses at 1-3 weeks. The laser-perforated PLA-CL membranes equipped with 1.0 mm pores induced mineralization beginning from the margins of the pores judging from the X-ray patterns, but bone formation seemed to proceed irregularly inside the pores. In the perforated PLA-CL membrane with 1.0-mm pores bone formation did not significantly increase compared with the nonperforated one. This was due to the fact that the PLA-CL membrane was already a porous structure (85% porosity). In contrast with laser-perforated PLA-CL 0.2 mm pores, bone was induced on the collagen fibers and fiber bundles inside the pores. The different patterns of bone formation between the PLA-CL membranes with 1.0 and 0.2 mm pores seemed to be related to the active formation of perpendicular collagen fibers through the 0.2 mm pores.