Short- and long-term effects of irradiation on bone regeneration

The aim of the present study is to quantify bone-regenerative capacity directly and 1 year after administration of 15 Gy 60Co irradiation. A titanium implant, the bone growth chamber, which in nonirradiated cases becomes filled with newly formed bone over a 4-week period, was inserted into each tibial metaphysis of 20 rabbits. In 10 animals the chambers were installed directly after irradiation, while in 10 other rabbits the implants were installed 1 year after the 60Co trauma. In both groups the bone-forming capacity on the irradiated side was compared to that of the contralateral, nonirradiated, control tibia. The amount of bone formed was determined by microradiography and microdensitometry. It was found that bone regeneration was depressed by 70.9 percent within a 4-week period after irradiation. At a follow-up of 1 year, the average depression of bone-forming capacity was only 28.9 percent. This means a recovery by a factor of almost 2.5. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.