Osteoproductivity of Injectable Bone Grafts with and without Ostrich Eggshell Membrane Protein in Rabbit Femur

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and effectiveness in terms of osseointegration of dental implants composed of novel injectable bone grafts with and without ostrich eggshell particles and membrane protein in rabbit femur.

Sixteen adult male New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. A bone defect was created in each animal's right and left femur, and a dental implant was placed adjacent to the defect. Two graft materials were prepared, one containing the membrane protein and the other not. In two groups, the defects were filled with these materials. In the negative control group (NC, (n:8)), the defects were left empty. A commercial product of biphasic calcium sulfate was used as a positive control material (PC, n = 8). The graft groups were defined as the group with the membrane protein (MP+, (n:8)), and without the membrane protein (MP-, n:8). The animals were euthanized at the 12th week after surgery. The samples were investigated using histology, histomorphometry, and micro-computed tomography. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (p = 0.05).

Both the PC and MP+ groups had similar newly formed bone areas, and the mean values of these groups were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the MP- and NC groups. The PC group had the highest amount of unresorbed material, while the MP- group had the lowest amount of unresorbed material. The bone-implant contact (BIC) scores of the PC and MP+ groups were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the NC group. The connective tissue area of the PC group was the lowest, which was significantly lower than the other groups (p < 0.05).

The grafts produced are highly biocompatible and also showed osteoproductivity. Their cost-effectiveness and osteoproductive activity require further investigation.