Histomorphometric evaluation of the association between bioglass and lyophilized bovine bone in the treatment of critical bone defects created on rat calvaria: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to histomorphometrically evaluate the effect of bioglass (B), lyophilized bovine bone (BB) or the 1:1 mixture of these two biomaterials on the repair of critical bone defects in rat calvaria. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Bone defects (8 mm Ø) were surgically created in the calvaria of 24 rats, which were divided into the following 4 groups of 6 animals each according to the type of biomaterial used: blood clot / coagulum (control) group (CG), bioglass group (BG), lyophilized bovine bone group (BBG) and a group receiving a mixture of these two biomaterials (BG/BB). The animals were euthanized at 15 or 60 days after surgery (3 animals per period). Histological evaluation was based on the morphological description of the newly formed tissues, and a quantification of the percentage of bone tissue with newly formed fibrous connective tissue and the percentage of biomaterial remaining in the bone defect was performed for the histomorphometric evaluation. RESULT: In both experimental periods, the histological analysis showed new bone formation, especially at the edges of the defects and around remaining biomaterial particles. Histomorphometric analysis showed that the CG contained a higher percentage of bone tissue over the 15-day period compared to that of the other groups. At 60 days, the BBG showed a higher percentage of bone tissue compared to that of the BG (p