Effect of combined local treatment with zoledronic acid and basic fibroblast growth factor on implant fixation in ovariectomized rats

Bone. 2009 Feb;44(2):225-32. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2008.10.054. Epub 2008 Nov 12.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture resulting in bone fragility, which impairs fixation of the implants. Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a potential inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a growth factor that stimulates osteoblast-mediated bone formation, and these drugs could enhance fixation of implants under osteoporotic conditions. In this study, 40 ovariectomized (OVX) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10 for each group) and underwent bilateral tibiae implantation using hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated titanium implant: Control group (distilled water immersing before implantation), ZOL group (1 mg/ml of ZOL immersing), bFGF group (20 microg/ml of bFGF immersing), and ZOL+bFGF group (1 mg/ml of ZOL and 20 microg/ml of bFGF immersing). At 3 months after implantation, all animal were sacrificed and the tibiae were harvested for histology, micro-CT examinations and biomechanical testing. Bone area and contact, determined by histomorphometric analysis, were 2.7-fold and 1.8-fold in the ZOL-treated implants, 1.9-fold and 1.8-fold in the bFGF-treated implants, 3.6-fold and 2.3-fold in the both-treated implants compared with controls (p<0.01). Such significant effects were further confirmed by microstructure parameters, the bone volume ratio and the percentage osteointegration were significantly increased by ZOL treatment (3.0-fold and 1.8-fold), bFGF treatment (1.2-fold and 1.9-fold) and ZOL+bFGF treatment (3.3-fold and 2.7-fold) (p<0.001). In addition, push-out test showed that the maximum force and the corresponding interfacial shear strength of the implants treated by ZOL, bFGF and ZOL+bFGF was 8.4-fold and 8.6-fold, 3.8-fold and 3.7-fold, 10.8-fold and 10.7-fold of the control levels, respectively (p<0.05). The combined treatment was better than either treatment alone for force, but was not different from ZOL alone for interfacial strength. The significant correlation between biomechanical and micro-CT parameters demonstrates the role of microstructure assessments in predicting mechanical fixation of implants (p<0.01). Our study suggests that locally applied ZOL or bFGF may improve implant fixation in the ovariectomized rats, and that combined treatment has more beneficial effects on osseointegration, peri-implant bone formation and maximum force than either intervention alone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena / drug effects
  • Diphosphonates / pharmacology*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Durapatite / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / pharmacology*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology*
  • Ovariectomy*
  • Prosthesis Implantation*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Surface Properties / drug effects
  • Tibia / cytology
  • Tibia / diagnostic imaging
  • Tibia / ultrastructure
  • Titanium
  • X-Ray Microtomography
  • Zoledronic Acid

Substances

  • Diphosphonates
  • Imidazoles
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
  • Zoledronic Acid
  • Durapatite
  • Titanium