Bone Regeneration Assessment of Polycaprolactone Membrane on Critical-Size Defects in Rat Calvaria

Abstract

Biomaterials for use in guided bone regeneration (GBR) are constantly being investigated and developed to improve clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to comparatively evaluate the biological performance of different membranes during the bone healing process of 8 mm critical defects in rat calvaria in order to assess their influence on the quality of the newly formed bone. Seventy-two adult male rats were divided into three experimental groups (n = 24) based on the membranes used: the CG—membrane-free control group (only blood clot, negative control), BG—porcine collagen membrane group (Bio-Guide®, positive control), and the PCL—polycaprolactone (enriched with 5% hydroxyapatite) membrane group (experimental group). Histological and histometric analyses were performed at 7, 15, 30, and 60 days postoperatively. The quantitative data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p p p = 0.799). Thus, the PCL membrane was biocompatible, and has the potential to help with GBR procedures.

Keywords

• membranes
• polymers
• bone regeneration
• materials biocompatibility
• materials testing
• polycaprolactone