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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Calvarial Model of Bone Augmentation in Rabbit for Assessment of Bone Growth and Neovascularization in Bone Substitution Materials
Published on: August 13, 2019
Bone regeneration in experimental animals using calcium phosphate cement combined with platelet growth factors and
K Emilov-Velev1, C Clemente-de-Arriba2, M Á Alobera-García3
1Servicio de Traumatología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Majadahonda, Madrid, España.
Unlabelled:
Many substances (growth factors and hormones) have osteoinduction properties and when added to some osteoconduction biomaterial they accelerate bone neoformation properties.
Materials:
The materials included 15 New Zealand rabbits, calcium phosphate cement (Calcibon(®)), human growth hormone (GH), and plasma rich in platelets (PRP).
Methods:
Each animal was operated on in both proximal tibias and a critical size bone defect of 6mm of diameter was made. The animals were separated into the following study groups: Control (regeneration only by Calcibon®), PRP (regeneration by Calcibon® and PRP), GH (regeneration by Calcibon® and GH). All the animals were sacrificed at 28 days. An evaluation was made of the appearance of the proximal extreme of rabbit tibiae in all the animals, and to check the filling of the critical size defect. A histological assessment was made of the tissue response, the presence of new bone formation, and the appearance of the biomaterial. Morphometry was performed using the MIP 45 image analyser. ANOVA statistical analysis was performed using the Statgraphics software application.
Results:
The macroscopic appearance of the critical defect was better in the PRP and the GH group than in the control group. Histologically greater new bone formation was found in the PRP and GH groups. No statistically significant differences were detected in the morphometric study between bone formation observed in the PRP group and the control group. Significant differences in increased bone formation were found in the GH group (p=0.03) compared to the other two groups.
Conclusion:
GH facilitates bone regeneration in critical defects filled with calcium phosphate cement in the time period studied in New Zealand rabbits.
