the efficacy of implant of octacalcium phos-phate in combination with bone matrix gelatin on bone regeneration in skull defects in rat

background: in several conditions we have face cranial bone defects. reconstruction of these defects remains one of the most challenging problems encountered by craniofacial surgeons.   objective: to evaluate bone repair in cranial bone defects by use of an implant made of octacalcium phosphate in combination with bone matrix gelatin (ocp/bmg).   methods: we used 40, 5–6-week-old male sprague-dawley rats.  a full thickness standardized trephine defect—5-mm in diameter—was made in the rat parietal bone and ocp/bmg was implanted into the defect.  no ocp/bmg particles were implanted in control group that was otherwise treated identically. after sacrificing the rats chronologically and processing the tissues by routine histological procedures, 5- m m thick sections of bone were stained and examined under light microscope.   results: on the 5 th day of implantation, inflammatory cells were seen around the implanted materials, especially around the ocp particles.  by the end of 21 st day, almost all of the ocp/bmg particles were absorbed and bone trabeculae, bone marrow cavities and bone marrow tissues were seen. in the control group, at the end of 21 th day, a few areas of new bone were seen near to the defect margins and host bone, however, in much less amount than in the experimental group.   conclusion: implant of ocp/bmg appears to stimulate new bone regeneration in bone defects. these biomaterials can be used for repair of cranial bone defects.