In Vivo Analysis of Porous Bioactive Silicon Carbide Scaffold for Craniofacial Bone Augmentation

Bone augmentation is a vital area of research because of its high clinical demand and the reported complications associated with the available biomaterials. Purpose: The study assess the role of decellurized skeletal muscle (DSM) when combined with synthesized porous bioactive silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic and evaluated its ability to augment bone calvaria in a rat model.

Eighteen rats were divided into 2 groups; group 1 (n=9), SiC discs (10 × 0.2 mm) pre-treated with 20% NaOH were placed as an onlay grafts on calvarial bone. Meanwhile, in group 2 (n=9), SiC discs pre-treated with 20% NaOH (10 × 0.2 mm) were covered with DSM. After 12 weeks, the grafted tissues were harvested and examined using cone-beam computed tomography, mechanical testing, and histologic analysis.

Cone-beam computed tomography for group 2 showed more radio-opacity for the remnant of SiC compared with native bone. The surface area and volume of radio-opacity were 2.48 mm 2 ± 1.6 and 14.9 ± 7.8 mm 3 , respectively. The estimated quantitative average surface area of the radio-opacity for group 1 and volume were 2.55 mm 2 ± (Sd=3.7) and 11.25 ± (Sd=8.9), respectively. Mechanically, comparable values of the flexural strength and statistically significant higher modulus of elasticity of calvaria in group 1 compared with group 2 and control ( P <0.001). Histologically, group 2 region of woven bone was seen close to the lamellar bone (native bone), and there was immature bone present near the implanted SiC.

The tested construct made of SiC/DSM has potential to osteointegrate into native bone, making it a suitable material for bone augmentation.