Treatment of tibial bone defect with rotational vascular periosteal graft in rabbits

It is well known that the periosteum is capable of bone formation. In the present study, the value of the vascularized periosteal graft in healing the long-bone defect filled with the allogenous bone graft was studied. The aim of the study was to verify the efficiency of the rotational vascularized periosteal graft as a optional surgical method as well as to prove its advantages in comparison with the nonvascularized periosteal graft. The study was undertaken on 40 rabbits. Four rabbits served as allogenous bone graft donors, while the remaining 36 were divided into two equal groups. In the control group, the experimentally created bone defect on the junction of the tibial proximal and median thirds was filled with allogenous bone graft and then covered with avascular periosteal graft. In the experimental group, the allogenous bone graft filled defect was covered with the rotational vascular periosteal graft. Groups of 6 rabbits from each group were sacrificed after 2, 5 and 12 weeks following surgery. The results were evaluated with radiographical, histological and morphometric methods. The results obtained 2 and 5 weeks after surgery demonstrated better tibial bone defect healing in the experimental group. The defect was bridged in both analysed groups after 5 weeks and was completed after 12 weeks with no difference between the control and the experimental groups. The obtained results have confirmed the efficiency of the method using the rotational vascularized periosteal graft in the treatment of tibial bone defect in rabbits. The advantage of the vascularized periosteal graft as compared to the avascular one has been proved by better quality of bone healing in the early stage.