ObjectiveTo investigate the bone repair and regeneration abilities of biomimetic mineralized collagen bone graft material and autologous bone marrow in rabbit posterolateral spinal fusion model.MethodsTwenty-seven 20-week-old male New Zealand white rabbits were used to establish the posterolateral spinal fusion model of L5 and L6 segments by stripping the transverse process and exposing cancellous bone with electric burr. The rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups, 9 in each group. Groups A, B, and C were implanted 1.5 mL autologous iliac bone, 1.5 mL (30 mm×10 mm×5 mm) biomimetic mineralized collagen bone graft material, and 1.5 mL (30 mm×10 mm×5 mm) biomimetic mineralized collagen bone graft material and autologous bone marrow in each bone defect. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation, the apparent hardness of the bone grafting area was observed by manipulation method, in order to evaluate bone graft fusion effects. Three animals were sacrificed in each group at each time point, the vertebral body specimens were excised and the bone defect repair and fusion were observed by X-ray films, and three-dimensional CT examination was performed to evaluate whether new bone was formed in the body. HE staining was performed at each time point to observe the formation of new bone and the repair and fusion of bone defects.ResultsThe manipulation test showed that bone graft fusion was not found in all groups at 4 weeks after operation; 3 (50.0%), 2 (33.3%), and 4 (66.7%) of groups A, B, and C reached bone graft fusion at 8 weeks after operation; 5 (83.3%), 4 (66.7%), and 5 (83.3%) of groups A, B, and C reached bone graft fusion at 12 weeks after operation; the fusion rate of group C was similar to that of group A, and all higher than that of group B. X-ray film observation showed that the fusion rate of group C at 8 and 12 weeks after operation was higher than that of group B, which was similar to group A. Three-dimensional CT observation showed that the degree of bone fusion in group C was better than that in group B, which was close to group A. HE staining observation showed that large area of mature lamellar bone coverage appeared in the bone graft area of groups A, B, and C at 12 weeks after operation, the material was completely degraded, and the marginal boundary of the host bone disappeared and tightly combined.ConclusionBiomimetic mineralized collagen bone graft material mixed with autologous bone marrow has good osteoinduction and osteogenesis guidance. Compared with biomimetic mineralized collagen bone graft material, it has better and faster osteogenesis effect, which is close to autologous bone transplantation.
As a worldwide challenge in the field of neurosurgery, there is no effective treatment method for pediatric skull defects repair in clinic. Currently clinical used cranioplasty materials couldn’t undergo adjustment in response to skull growth and deformation. An ideal material for pediatric cranioplasty should fulfill the requirements of achieving complete closure, good osseointegration, biodegradability and conformability, sufficient cerebral protection and optimal aesthetic, and functional restoration of calvaria. Biomimetic mineralized collagen-based bone material is a kind of material that simulates the microstructural unit of natural bone on the nanometer scale. Because of its high osteogenic activity, it is widely used in repair of all kinds of bone defects. Recently, the biomimetic mineralized collagen-based bone materials have successfully been applied for cranial regeneration and repair with satisfactory results. This review mainly introduces the characteristics of the biomimetic mineralized collagen-based bone materials, the advantages for the repair of pediatric skull defects, and the related progresses.
Objective To explore the clinical application value of mineralized collagen (MC) bone scaffolds in repairing various types of skull defects, and to assess the suitability and repair effectiveness of porous MC (pMC) scaffolds, compact MC (cMC) scaffolds, and biphasic MC composite (bMC) scaffolds. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 105 patients who underwent skull defect repair with pMC, cMC, or bMC between October 2014 and April 2022. The cohort included 63 males and 42 females, ranging in age from 3 months to 55 years, with a median age of 22.7 years. Causes of defects included craniectomy after traumatic surgery in 37 cases, craniotomy in 58 cases, tumor recurrence or intracranial hemorrhage surgery in 10 cases. Appropriate MC scaffolds were selected based on the patient’s skull defect size and age: 58 patients with defects <3 cm² underwent skull repair with pMC (pMC group), 45 patients with defects ≥3 cm² and aged ≥5 years underwent skull repair with cMC (cMC group), and 2 patients with defects ≥3 cm² and aged <5 years underwent skull repair with bMC (bMC group). Postoperative clinical follow-up and imaging examinations were conducted to evaluate bone regeneration, the biocompatibility of the repair materials, and the occurrence of complications. Results All 105 patients were followed up 3-24 months, with an average of 13 months. No material-related complication occurred in any patient, including skin and subcutaneous tissue infection, excessive ossification, and rejection. CT scans at 6 months postoperatively showed bone growth in all patients, and CT scans at 12 months postoperatively showed complete or near-complete resolution of bone defects in all patients, with 58 cases repaired in the pMC group. The CT values of the defect site and the contralateral normal skull bone in the pMC group at 12 months postoperatively were (1 123.74±93.64) HU and (1 128.14±92.57) HU, respectively, with no significant difference (t=0.261, P=0.795). Conclusion MC exhibits good biocompatibility and osteogenic induction ability in skull defect repair. pMC is suitable for repairing small defects, cMC is suitable for repairing large defects, and bMC is suitable for repairing pediatric skull defects.