Author(s)

Henrik Eckardt, Knud Stenild Christensen, Martin Lind, Ebbe Stender Hansen, Ivan Hvid

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Aalborg Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Trauma Division, Orthopedic Department, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.

Objective: Bioabsorbable barrier membranes placed over alveolar ridge bone defects are routinely used in dental surgery to promote bone formation. Combining these osteoconductive membranes with osteoinductive Bone Morphogenetic Proteins could prove useful in long bone fracture treatment. The hypothesis was tested in a clinically relevant model of compromised healing. Methods: Four groups of 8 rabbits underwent unilateral mid-tibial osteotomy, excision of periosteum and endosteum, and plate fixation. One group had rhBMP-2 deposited between the bone ends and Membrane wrapped around the osteotomy, the second group had Membrane wrapped around the osteotomy, the third group had rhBMP-2 placed between the bone ends, and the fourth group received no additional treatment. Results: After 7 weeks, callus size and blood flow were significantly higher in the Membrane+rhBMP-2 group than in the rhBMP-2 treated group, but torsion to failure test showed no significant difference. Membrane treatment and no treatment led to non-union. Conclusion: Absorbable barrier membrane combined with rhBMP-2 enhances bone formation, but has no advantage to rhBMP-2 alone. Membrane alone wrapped around the osteotomy was unable to prevent non-union formation.

Bioabsorbable Barrier Membrane; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; Non Union; Pseudartrhrosis; Rabbit; Bone Blood Flow; Torsion to Failure

H. Eckardt, K. Christensen, M. Lind, E. Hansen and I. Hvid, "Bioabsorbable Barrier Membrane Combined with rhBMP-2 Improved Bone Formation in an Experimental Model of Compromised Healing But Was Not Superior to rhBMP-2 Alone," Open Journal of Orthopedics, Vol. 4 No. 2, 2014, pp. 31-37. doi: 10.4236/ojo.2014.42006.