Effects of collagen/β-tricalcium phosphate bone graft to regenerate bone in critically sized rabbit calvarial defects

Bone defects remain a significant health issue and a major cause of morbidity in elderly patients. Composites based on collagen/calcium phosphate have been widely used for bone repair in clinical applications, owing to their comparability to bone extracellular matrix. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a scaffold of collagen/calcium phosphate (COL/β-TCP) on bone formation to assess its potential use as a bone substitute to repair bone defects. Bilateral full-thickness critically sized calvarial defects (8 mm in diameter) were created in New Zealand white rabbits and treated with COL/β-TCP or COL scaffolds. One defect was also left unfilled as a control. Bone regeneration was assessed through histological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining after 4 and 8 weeks. Alizarin Red staining was also utilized to observe the mineralization process. Our findings indicated that COL/β-TCP implantation could better enhance bone regeneration than COL and exhibited both new bone growth and scaffold material degradation.