Bioactive glass and autogenous bone as bone graft substitutes in benign bone tumors

In a prospective randomized study, 25 patients with benign bone tumors were surgically treated with either bioactive glass S53P4 (BG) or autogenous bone (AB) as bone graft material. X-rays were taken preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 weeks and at 3, 8, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months. In addition, for most of the patients, CT scans were performed at the same time-points. No infections or material-related adverse reactions occurred in any patient. The filled cavity was replaced faster by new bone in the AB group than in the BG group (p = 0.0001). However, at 36 months, no statistical difference in cavity volume between the two groups was observed on X-rays (p = 0.7881) or on CT scans (p = 0.9117). In the BG group at 3 years, the filled cavity appeared, however, dense on X-rays, and glass granules on CT scans were observed. During the follow-up period, the cortical thickness seemed to increase more in the BG group than in the AB group (p < 0.0001).