Purpose: Bioactive glass and bioactive glass-ceramic cone implants were placed in the rabbit eviscerated socket to assess their biocompatibility.
Methods: Fifty-one Norfolk albino rabbits underwent evisceration of the right eye followed by implantation of cones made from Bioglass(®) 45S5 (control group) and two types of bioactive glass-ceramic (Biosilicate(®)), a single- and a two-phase bioactive glass-ceramic implants into the scleral cavity. Postoperative reactions, animal behavior and socket conditions were monitored daily. Clinical exam, biochemical evaluations, and orbit computed tomographic scan were done at 7, 90, and 180 days post-procedure. After that, the animals were euthanized, and the orbital content was removed and prepared to light microscopy with morphometric evaluation and scanning electron microscopy examination. Statistical analysis was done by parametric and non-parametric analysis of variance, complemented by Dunn's and Tukey's tests (p < 0.05).
Results: All animals did not develop systemic toxicity throughout the experimental period and also did not have orbit infection, implant migration or extrusion. Morphological analysis demonstrated pseudocapsule around all implants. Bioglass(®) and single-phase Biosilicate(®) implants induced less inflammation and pseudocapsule formation than two-phase Biosilicate(®) cones. Seven days post-procedure, the inflammatory reaction was intense and gradually decreased throughout the experiment. Tissue reaction was least intense in animals receiving Bioglass(®) implants.
Conclusions: We observe discrete differences among the studied materials, with best responses obtained with use of Bioglass(®) 45S5 and single-phase Biosilicate(®). The authors agree these implants might be useful in the management of the anophthalmic socket.