Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Nacre/bone interface changes in durable nacre endosseous implants in sheep.

Berland S, Delattre O, Borzeix S, Catonné Y, Lopez E

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département des Milieux et Peuplements Aquatiques, 7, rue Cuvier, USM 401, UMR CNRS 5178, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France. berland@mnhn.fr

Raw nacre implants persist even after 9 months of implantation into bone tissue in sheep. However the nacre surface undergoes a limited biodegradation process. Smooth-surfaced nacre implants were seen to become microporous after implantation. The results of these long-term, in vivo studies show that the overall process involves bone-resorbing cells, relies on a two-phase mechanism and may correspond to a regulation process. The rate of surface change depends on the bone implantation site and the nacre/bone interaction. The in vivo biodegradability of nacre is a highly variable parameter. The size and shape of the implanted nacre and the cellular environment of the implant are key factors in determining the biodegradation kinetics of the nacre in a living system.

Published 8 December 2004 in Biomaterials, 26(15): 2767-73.
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