Rabbit pilot study on the resorbability of three-dimensional bioactive glass fibre scaffolds

Bioactive glass composed of Na2O–K2O–MgO–CaO–B2O3–P2O5–SiO2 is used in this study to manufacture three-dimensional glass fibre scaffolds for a synthetic bone filler material for the treatment of bone defects. The glass is characterized by a large working range, which is the temperature interval at which forming of glass can take place. A preliminary in vivo study on New Zealand skeletally mature rabbits tibia is reported here. Bone defects were prepared in the medial surfaces of the diaphyses of the tibia. For the first time melt derived three-dimensional bioactive glass fibre constructs were used to fill the cavities. The different implants investigated here were a scaffold with a porosity of 45–50%, scaffold with a porosity of 55–60% and morsels with a porosity of 55–60%. The implanted bone substitutes were dissected after 6 months and evaluated by histological and synchrotron radiation micro tomography analysis. PerioGlas and empty defects were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The result was that the surgically created tibial defects were healed and new bone formation was found in the medullary cavities. Despite the intrinsic limitations of a pilot study, the preliminary results indicate that in 6 months the glass fibre scaffolds are completely resorbed and that the osteoconductive properties of the filling material are strictly correlated with the structural and morphological characteristics of the bone substitute.