Biological Safety Assessment of a Colored Zirconia Ceramic: Hemolysis and Short-Term Systemic Toxicity Tests

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the biological safety of a colored zirconia ceramic regarding its hemolytic activity and short-term systemic toxicity. Methods: Fresh anti-coagulating rabbit blood was mixed with test materials and the hemolytic activities detected spectrophotometrically. Suspensions of the ceramic were fed to rats for one week while monitoring food consumption and relative growth rate and with subsequent pathology examinations of vital organs and tissues. Results: The hemolytic activity of the ceramics was <5%, and rats in all groups showed weekly relative growth rates of food utilization and body weight with no statistically significant differences. There were also no pathological changes observed among the various examined organs between the experimental and control groups. Conclusions: This colored ceramic showed good biocompatibility in terms of hemolytic activity and short-term systemic toxicity.