Figure 4
Histological evaluation of bone/biomaterial interface in femurs implanted with Sr-hybrid and Ca-hybrid systems. Coronal histological sections of critical sized defect created in the distal femur, 15 and 60 days post-implantation (A). Global view of the created defects filled with Ca-hybrid (a and c) and Sr-hybrid (b and d) materials, at 15 (a and b) or 60 days (c and d) post-implantation, stained with MT (a to d, dashed yellow line circling the created defect area). Interface bone/biomaterial, 15 days (a’ and b’) and 60 days (c’ and d’) post-implantation, with Ca-hybrid (a’ and c’) and Sr-hybrid (b’ and d’) systems, and higher magnification of rectangle (a” to d”, collagen/bone in blue, yellow dashed line – bone/biomaterial interface, * – alginate, M – microspheres, black arrows – new bone). (B) SEM image of histological section of Sr-hybrid filled defect 15 days post-implantation with EDS spectra of new bone (Z1) found near the microsphere and microsphere (Z2). (C) Thickness of peripheral bone found around the defect (as represented with arrows in A c” and A d”), 60 days post-implantation of Sr-hybrid and Ca-hybrid systems. Data presented as mean ± SEM of 20 different random locations of trabecular bone found around the defect of n = 5 animals/group, 3 sections/animal. Asterisks show statistically significant differences (***p < 0.001).
