INFLAMMATORY REACTION OF RAT STRIATED-MUSCLE TO PARTICLES OF CARBON-FIBER-REINFORCED CARBON

1. Carbon fiber reinforced carbon (CFRC) was implanted in rats as part icles measuring 30 mum or 11 mum, denoted as CFRC-A and CFRC-B, respec tively. Titanium (Ti) and vitreus carbon (VC) were used as controls. T i was used with the same particle size as CFRC (Ti-A or Ti-B). The VC particles measured 11 mum. All materials were separately sterilized on ethylene oxide before use. 2. One hundred and ten female Wistar rats, weighing 180 to 220 g, were divided into six groups of 4 to 5 animals each, according the time of the observation (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 52 we eks). 3. Under aseptic conditions, one 3-0 curette full of CFRC-A or C FRC-B was implanted into the right triceps surae muscle in each animal and the same quantity of Ti-A (paired with CFRC-A) or Ti-B or VC (pai red with CFRC-B) was implanted into the left muscle. 4. Histological a nalysis did not show necrosis of muscular tissue nor exudative reactio n during the acute phase. 5. During the chronic phase the particles in duced a chronic inflammatory infiltration containing fibroblasts, macr ophages and giant cells. VC and CFRC-B induced the lowest inflammatory infiltration and CFRC-A induced the highest one. 6. We suggest that t he longer carbon fiber fragments contained in CFRC-A may be responsibl e for this more intensive reaction, which may restrict the medical use of the preparation.