Increased Osteogenesis Elicited by Boron-Modified Bioactive Glass Particles in the SiO2-CaO-P2O5-Na2O System: A Histomorphometric Study in Rats

The effect of boron-containing bioactive glass (BG) particles in the SiO2-CaO-P2O5-Na2O system on the bone formation was studied by histologic, histomorphometric and microchemical evaluation. Wistar rats were used throughout. Under anesthesia, 45S5 BG particles were placed inside the medullary compartment of the tibia (Control), while in the contralateral tibia (Experimental) 45S5.2B BG particles were implanted. The animals were sacrificed 15 days postimplantation. The tibiae were resected, radiographed, and embedded in methyl methacrylate resin. Sections were stained with toluidine blue and analyzed by light microscopy, backscattered scaning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Histomorphometric determinations were performed. Light microscopy of the histologic sections showed lamellar bone formation surrounding both biomaterials. The histomorphometric study revealed a statistically significant increase in bone tissue around 45S5.2B BG particles. EDX of newly formed bone tissue showed a rise in the Ca:P ratio when 45S5.2B BG particles were employed. The results described in the present study reveal that this boron-containing bioactive glass may be used as scaffold for bone tissue regeneration.