Treatment of the avascular necrosis with a novel biodegradable thermosensitive Box hydrogel carrying BMP-2
Journal
Science of Advanced Materials
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
5
Pages
815-823
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Abstract
Avascular necrosis (AVN) is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. Also called osteonecrosis, avascular necrosis can lead to tiny breaks in bone and eventual bone collapse. As people age, the risk of becoming a victim to osteonecrosis gets higher and higher. However, there is still no reliable treatment for the early stage of AVN. In this study, we first established a reliable AVN animal model by sham AVN surgery plus methylprednisolone (MP) treatment and then investigated the effect of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) on treating femoral head with the induced avascular necrosis. Our results showed that AVN surgery plus MP treatment has successfully reduced the damage of femoral head 4 weeks after treatment. A dosage of BMP-2 (1 μg/mL) in hydrogel has effectively reduced the femoral damage induced by AVN surgery plus MP treatment by preserving more epiphysis of the femoral head and more trabeculae below the growth plate of the femoral head 8 weeks after treatment. Furthermore, BMP-2 in hydrogel attenuated the femoral head damage after AVN surgery plus MP treatment at doses of 1 and 2 μg/mL. These findings strongly suggest that BMP-2 in the hydrogel has a great potential for treating patients suffering from avascular necrosis or other conditions characterized by the osteonecrosis of bones.
SDGs
Type
journal article