The effect of eggshell hydroxyapatite powder and autologous bone marrow on the healing of bone defects in rabbits

english

2025

volume 62, issue 3

avian eggshell powder   bone gap   hydroxyapatite

Univerza v Ljubljani, Veterinarska fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The repair of bone defects remains a challenge for clinical orthopedic surgery. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of using eggshell hydroxyapatite (eHA), which was prepared previously from avian eggshell by hydrothermal method and autologous bone marrow aspirated from the femoral bone, on the healing of bone gap defect on the radius bone of the right forelimb in rabbits. This study was conducted on 28 male rabbits divided randomly into four groups each (n=7); in all experimental animals (10 mm length × 2mm width), a bone gap was induced at the mid-shaft of the radius bone reaching the marrow cavity at the right forelimb. The defect in GI was left open as a control group without any additives. In GII, the bone gap was filled with eHA powder; in GIII, it was filled with eHA powder. The bone gap was filled with autologous bone marrow, and in GIV, the bone defect was equally filled with a combination of eHA and bone marrow. Experimental animals were followed up clinically, radiographically at (2, 4, 6, 8) weeks post-operatively, and histopathologically at (4, 6) weeks post-operatively. The radiological and histopathological findings revealed promising results in treated groups compared to a control group, with the best results in the combination of eHA and autologous bone marrow. In conclusion, the use of eHA and autologous bone marrow is considered a beneficial graft material in bone defect regeneration

04.11.2026