A triblock polymer of LPLA and PEG 1000 and 3400 at 3% and 9% was formed by ring opening under nitrogen atmosphere at 120°C and then, in one group, bFGF was added, while in the other both bFGF and BMP were added, leaving one group as a control. Gross, radiographic, histological and scanning electronic microscope observations were done. With the help of motic images advanced 3.0 new bone formed, calculated as a percentage of total selected area and, using SAS6.12, results were analyzed. Statistical analysis between groups showed that, at 2 weeks, the PLA-PEG-PLA + bFGF + BMP group had the highest amount of new bone formation, as a percentage of new bone over total surface area, at 48% followed by the PLA-PEG-PLA + bFGF group at 39%, then the PLA-PEG-PLA=BMP group at 29%. The PLA-PEGPLA group trailed in at 18% (statistical significance, p <0.05=0.0001). After 4 weeks, the experimental groups B and D had almost equal new bone formation (62% and 64% respectively), but still significantly different from the control group and BMP2 group, with 43% and 38% respectively (p <0.05=0.0001). After 8 weeks, there was no difference in the amount of bone regeneration (p >0.05=0.87).
Within the groups, the control group exhibited steady incremental new bone formation at 2, 4 and 8 weeks, starting out at 18%, followed by 42% and lastly 65%. Interestingly this phenomenon also applied to group C (BMP2 group) but not to the B group (bFGF group). The differences at the respective consecutive time of examination were statistically significant (p <0.05=0.0001). However, in both experimental groups B and D there was statistically significant difference between new bone formed at 2 weeks compared to that at 4 weeks, but thereafter the increment was negligible.