CONTINUOUSLY INFUSED CALCIUM HYDROXIDE - ITS INFLUENCE ON HARD-TISSUEREPAIR

To study the ability of calcium hydroxide to promote hard tissue repai r, Alza Alzet Osmotic Pumps, implanted in Sprague-Dawley rats, were us ed to deliver either calcium hydroxide and glycerol, barium hydroxide and glycerol, tetracycline and glycerol, or glycerol only to a standar dized round bur defect in a rat femur. The pumps infused one of the re agents into the defects continuously over a 4-wk experimental period. The effects of each reagent on the healing of the bony defects were co mpared by histological evaluation. The Alza Osmotic Pump proved to be an effective method to deliver an agent to an experimental site. Our p reliminary findings from a limited sample size indicated that calcium hydroxide contributed to a more complete osseous repair than either ba rium hydroxide or tetracycline. Barium hydroxide with a sustained pH e quivalent to calcium hydroxide showed no greater healing than the cont rols. Tetracycline results were also similar to controls.