Different effects of mechanical vibration on bone ingrowth into porous hydroxyapatite and fracture healing in a rabbit model

✍ Scribed by Yasuo Usui; Joseph E. Zerwekh; Heikki Vanharanta; Richard B. Ashman; Dr. Vert Mooney

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 807 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0736-0266
• DOI: 10.1002/jor.1100070414

✦ Synopsis

The effects of mechanical vibration on bone ingrowth into porous hydroxyapatite implants and fracture healing were examined radiographically, histomorphometrically, and biomechanically in a rabbit model. Fifty-three female NZW rabbits were used in this study. These rabbits were divided into four separate studies to assess the effects of 20 and 60 min of vibration/day in both implant and osteotomy models as compared with the respective non-vibrated controls. For the implant model, coral hydroxyapatite goniopora rods were implanted bilaterally into tibiae and for the osteotomy model, bilateral fibulae were osteotomized. A resonant frequency of 25 Hz mechanical vibration was used. After periods of 2, 3, 4, and 6 weeks of vibration, the rabbits were killed and examined. For the implant model, there was no significant difference between control, 20, or 60 min of vibration/day with respect to the rate or amount of new bone ingrowth. For the fracture model, 60 min of vibration/day produced a significantly larger callus as compared with the non-vibrated controls (p less than 0.05), whereas 20 min of vibration/day did not. Although biomechanical testing demonstrated a general trend for increased strength in the vibrated animals, it failed to reach significance. These results suggest that the mechanical vibration used in the present study had a beneficial effect on callus volume, possibly due to the stimulation of secondary bone healing processes, but does not appear to promote bone ingrowth into a porous hydroxyapatite implant.