Use of demineralized bone as an osteoinductive orbital enucleation implant in the rabbit

Implanted allogeneic demineralized bone particles (DBP) may be transformed into endochondral bone by inductive or conductive new bone formation. Using a rabbit model, enucleation or evisceration was performed, and DBP was implanted into the socket. Histology confirmed endochondral bone formation in both groups. A morphologic difference existed between enucleation and evisceration: compact bone was produced following evisceration, and cancellous bony spheres were formed following enucleation. Serial quantitative computed tomography (qCT) was performed to monitor mineral density and proved to be an ideal technique to monitor bone mineralization noninvasively in the postoperative orbit. Bone mineral density (BMD, mg/ml) increased approximately 300% in DBP implanted orbits when compared to controls at 6 weeks. The ideal mass/volume ratio of DBP to socket volume was 400 mg/ml. The rapidly formed bone is well vascularized and creates a stable integrated orbital implant, following enucleation and evisceration surgery. DBP implantation into the central orbit results in inductive bone formation with interesting potential in socket and orbit reconstruction.