Mechanical evaluation of a porous bone graft substitute based on poly(propylene glycol-co-fumaric acid)

✍ Scribed by Hile, David D. ;Kirker-Head, Carl ;Doherty, Stephen A. ;Kowaleski, Michael P. ;McCool, John ;Wise, Donald L. ;Trantolo, Debra J.

• Book ID: 102297394
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 273 KB
• Volume: 66B
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.10011

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A porous, resorbable polymer composite based on poly(propylene glycol‐co‐fumaric acid) (PPF) was mechanically evaluated in vitro for use as a bone graft substitute and fracture fixative. The test material created a dynamic system capable of initially providing mechanical integrity to bony voids and a degradative mechanism for ingrowth by native bone. The unsaturated polymer, PPF, was crosslinked in the presence of effervescent agents to yield a porous microstructure upon curing. An in vitro degradation study first assessed the temporal mechanical properties of the test material. This research was followed by an ex vivo study using a long‐bone osteotomy model to characterize the mechanics of fixation. Results showed the initial compressive strength of the cross‐linked PPF system was comparable to cancellous bone. The rate of strength loss was commensurate with the predicted mechanical recovery of healing bone with analogous results in a composite that comprised also 25% (by weight) autograft. Mechanical testing in the long‐bone model demonstrated that PPF‐based bone‐graft substitute increased the flexural strength of K‐wire stabilized osteotomies. These results suggest that this type of bone graft substitute may have clinical utility in the stabilization of complex tubular bone fractures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 66B: 311–317, 2003