Evaluation of Bone Regeneration Efficacy in a Rabbit Model of Femoral Condyles Defect by Polyphenols-Containing Bone Filler

Abstract

work we describe the in vivo outcomes of a calcium phosphate bone filler containing polyphenols from red grape pomace, implanted for 56 days in the medial condyle of the femur bone of rabbits, showing that the presence of polyphenols enhances bone regeneration properties of the biomaterial. Materials All chemicals were analytical-reagent grade and were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Red grape pomace was purchased from a local winery producer (Croatina grape from ALEMAT, Penango, AT, Italy). Ultra-pure (MilliQ) water was used for the preparation of aqueous solutions. Commercially available bone filler Ostim ® has been purchased on the market. NBR_White HA was used for enhancing the mechanical strength of scaffold, whereas β-TCP for its degradability; they were mixed in a percentage of 50 wt.%, respectively, to reach an optimum compromise between the two properties. The ceramic scaffolds were prepared by mixing HA and β-TCP powders (47 wt.%) with a binding agent (poly (vinyl alcohol), 3 wt.%), and ultrapure water (50 wt.%) to obtain a ceramic slurry. Dolapix CE 64 was added as a dispersing agent (1 wt.% of the solid load). The polyurethane (PU) sponge impregnation method was used to obtain a macroporous ceramic scaffold [24,25]. A commercial PU sponge slab (45 ppi) of 200 x 200 x 10 mm 3 was soaked into the