[Biomaterials in an osteo-articular environment. Report of 129 anatomoclinical cases]

Actually, there is a range of biomaterials which are synthetic or metallic (or the both). They are employed as prosthesis (biostability property) or as bone graft (bioresorbability property). To understand the interactions between cells and such materials, we studied with human bone cellular cultures the cytologycal, immunohistochemical, cytogenetical and ultrastructural aspects of biomaterials in cell cultures. This paper concerns bioceramics like Pyrost, coral, biosorb, oxbone and polymers like polyethylene and silicones. The aim of this work is to evaluate the efficiency of some biomaterials. We found that porosity is primordial to promote biodegradation of bone substitutes. In fact, the biomaterials is integrated and lead to an osteoconduction, an osteoformation and finally an osteoinduction. Our observations show the implant resorption and ossification occurring in the matrix which penetrate it.