ADDITION OF FIBRIN SEALANT TO CERAMIC PROMOTES BONE REPAIR - LONG-TERM STUDY IN RABBIT FEMORAL DEFECT MODEL

Despite their impact on the healing of soft connective tissue, fibrin sealants have not been shown conclusively to have an important role in the healing of bone defects, We report the positive influence of fibr in sealants on repair of cancellous bone cavities filled with a porous , resorbable ceramic, We studied two fibrin sealants: Autocelle(R) and Tissucol(R), Autocolle(R) is enriched in platelet factors during its preparation, Tissucol(R) is a commercially available fibrin glue prepa red from pooled human plasma that has no enrichment in platelet factor s, Cavities 10 mm in depth and 5 mm in diameter were drilled in latera l condyles of 45 New Zealand rabbits, These defects were filled with e ither coral granules or a mixture of fibrin sealant (Autocolle(R) or T issucol(R)) and coral granules or left empty, At 1 month addition of a fibrin sealant (Autocolle(R) or Tissucol(R)) to the coral led to a si gnificant increase in bone formation in comparison to coral alone, At 2 months significant fibrin sealant mediated enhancement of bone repai r was observed with Autocolle(R) only, At 6 months bone formation was similar to the adult bone amount in nonoperated animals, whatever the initial material, Control cavities, on the other hand, were invaded wi th fibrous tissue only at each time period, (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons , Inc.