Nylon bands as bone cerclage - experimental study in rabbits and rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biocampatibility of the commercial nylon band used as bone cerclage, comparing with traditional metal cerclage wires. Twenty one rabbits and fifteen rats, healthy and without orthopedics problems were used. A commercial nylon band and a surgical stainless steel wire “0” were used in right (SN) and left (SA) rabbits’s hindlimb, respectively. Otherwise, on rats SN was on the left hindlimb, and SA on the right hindlimb. Both experimental species were divided into three groups according to the end of the evaluation period. Clinical, radiographic, macroscopic and histologically evaluation were performed at 30, 60 and 150 days postoperatively. All the animals showed normal limb function differences between groups were not observed at clinical and macroscopic evaluation. On both species, radiographic changes were slightly higher on SN. Histological differences were not observed in both species. Nylon bands do not cause foreign body reaction and other histological changes in rabbits and rats.