BackgroundBone grafting is used to enhance healing in osteotomies, arthrodesis, and multifragmentary fractures and to replace bony loss resulting from neoplasia or cysts. They are source of osteoprogenitor cells and induce bone formation and provide mechanical support for vascular and bone ingrowth. Autografts are used commonly but quantity of harvested bone is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate autograft and new xenogenic bovine demineralized bone matrix (DBM) effects on bone healing process.Materials and methodsTwenty male White New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. In group I (n = 10) the defect was filled by xenogenic DBM and in autograft group the defect was filled by fresh autogenous cortical graft and fixed by cercelage wire. Radiological, histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed blindly and results scored and analyzed statistically.ResultsStatistical tests did not reveal any significant differences between two groups on the 14th postoperative day radiographically (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference for union on 28th and 42nd postoperative days and for remodeling at on the 56th postoperative day radiologically (P < 0.05). Statistical tests did not support any significant differences between two groups for radiological bone formation (P > 0.05). Histopathological and biomechanical evaluation revealed no significant differences between two groups.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that satisfactory healing occurred in rabbit radius defect filled with xenogenic bovine DBM. Complications were not identified and healing was faster, same as in cortical autogenous grafting.

Bone grafting is used to enhance healing in osteotomies, arthrodesis, and multifragmentary fractures and to replace bony loss resulting from neoplasia or cysts. They are source of osteoprogenitor cells and induce bone formation and provide mechanical support for vascular and bone ingrowth. Autografts are used commonly but quantity of harvested bone is limit. This study was designed to evaluate fresh cortical autograft and allograft effects on bone healing process. Twenty male White New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. In autograft group the defect was filled by fresh autogenous cortical graft, in allograft group the defect was filled by a segment of fresh allogenous cortical bone which was harvested at the time of surgery during the creation of radius bone defect. Then all surface soft tissue, such as muscle attachments, were removed from the harvested bone and changed between rabbits as a fresh allogenous cortical bone graft and was fixed by cercelage wire. Radiological, histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed blindly and results scored and analyzed statistically. Statistical tests did not support significant differences between two groups at the 14th and 56th postoperative day radiographically (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference radiologically for the 28th and the 42nd postoperative (P < 0.05). Autograft was superior to allograft at the 28th and 42nd postoperative day in radiological evaluation (P < 0.03). Histopathological and biomechanical evaluation revealed no significant differences between two groups.

The following study was designed to evaluate xenogenic bovine demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and new xenograft (Bovine fetal growth plate) effects on bone healing process. Twenty male White New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. In group I (n = 10) the defect was filled by xenogenic DBM and in group II (n = 10) the defect was filled by a segment of bovine fetal growth plate and was fixed by cercelage wire. Radiological, histopathological, and biomechanical evaluations were performed blindly and results scored and analyzed statistically. Statistical tests did not support significant differences between two groups radiographically (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference for union at the 28th postoperative radiologically (P < 0.05). Xenograft was superior to DBM group at the 28th postoperative day for radiological union (P < 0.03). Histopathological and biomechanical evaluation revealed no significant differences between two groups. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that satisfactory healing occurred in rabbit radius defect filled with xenogenic bovine DBM and xenogenic bovine fetal growth plate. Complications were not identified and healing was faster in two grafting groups.

The concept of end-to-side nerve repair was recently introduced; however, most authors have reported conflicting results with this technique. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of end-to-side nerve repair in both fresh and predegenerated specimens by histological evaluation in an animal study in rabbits. Thirty male rabbits were divided into three groups. In group 1 (n = 14), the peroneal nerve was divided and sutured end-to-side to the tibial nerve via an epineurial window. In group 2 (n = 13), the peroneal nerve was divided and sutured end-to-side to the tibial nerve after a 1-week "predegeneration period." In group 3 (n = 3), which was considered the control group, the peroneal nerve was divided and sutured to the adjacent soft tissues. After 3 months, specimens were harvested for histological evaluation. Nerve fiber count, in normal peroneal nerves, averaged 532/cross section. In groups 1 and 2, average nerve fiber count in implanted peroneal nerves was 6.24 and 7.00/cross section, respectively. No significant statistical difference was observed between fresh and "predegenerated" groups (P = 0.90). These data suggest that collateral sprouting of donor nerves is possible after end-to-side neurorrhaphy through an epineurial window, but the number of nerve fibers in recipient nerves is too low to result in any functional recovery in the target organ.

Bone grafting is used to enhance healing in osteotomies, arthrodesis, and multifragmentary fractures and to replace bony loss resulting from neoplasia or cysts. They are source of osteoprogenitor cells and induce bone formation and provide mechanical support for vascular and bone ingrowth. Autografts are used commonly but quantity of retrieved bone is limit. This study was designed to evaluate autograft and new xenograft (Bovine fetal growth plate) effects on bone healing process. Twenty male White New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. In autograft group the defect was filled by fresh autogenous cortical graft, in xenograft group the defect was filled by a segment of bovine fetal growth plate and was fixed by cercelage wire. Radiological, histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed blindly and results scored and analyzed statistically. Statistical tests did not support significant differences between two groups at the 14th and 28th postoperative day radiographically (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference for remodeling at the 42nd postoperative radiologically (P < 0.05). Xenograft was superior to autograft at the 56th postoperative day for radiological bone formation (P < 0.03). Histopathological and biomechanical evaluation revealed no significant differences between two groups. The results of this study indicate that satisfactory healing occurred in rabbit radius defect filled with calf fetal growth plate. Complications were not identified and healing was faster than cortical autogenous grafting. It was concluded that the use of calf fetal growth plate as a new xenograft is an acceptable alternative to cortical autogenous graft and could reduce the morbidity associated with harvesting autogenous graft during surgery.