Percutaneous vertebroplasty in sheep: testing a novel mesoporous bioactive glass/calcium sulphate cement

Abstract

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) based cements are widely used for vertebroplasty. However, PMMA has disadvantages. The purpose of the present work was to test in vivo a new resorbable injectable composite cement – Spine-Ghost. The paste was percutaneously injected in bone defects manually drilled in L4 vertebral bodies of eight mature Merino sheep (Group B). A control group of eight sheep was injected with a known commercial calcium sulphate-based biphasic cement (Group A). After the 6-month implantation period the samples were assessed by micro-CT and histological studies. All sheep completed the 6-month implantation period. Cement resorption and new bone formation were observed in all samples with no signs of infection or inflammation.