Experimental implantation of hydrogel into the bone

The present study deals with the application and possibilities of insoluble hydrophilic gels (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate] as substitutes of bone tissue experimentally. Their biocompatibility is examined with regard to the porous qualities of the implant and to its chemical structure, and their behavior in the cancellous and compact bone is evaluated. It was found that the modifications of hydrogels used in the experiment are biocompatible, with the compatibility increasing in proportion to increasing porosity. The nonporous and microporous hydrogels are not compatible and are demarcated. The sintered macroporous gel is surrounded by a thin fibrin membrane. By adding methacrylic acid to the hydrogel surface, adhesion increases markedly. Marked destruction also appears in the polymer especially in the cancellous bone. By an active destruction of the polymer, no direct phagocytosis can be proved. Upon breakdown of the implant in the compact bone the activity of the macrophages is delayed. When the gel without methacrylic acid is used alone, destruction does not occur even after 193 days. When methacrylic acid is added to the polymer surface, destruction does occur and the implant is filled only by bone trabeculae.