Bone tissue engineering offers a potential alternative to conventional grafting by combining biocompatible scaffolds with biological stimulants. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with good mechanical strength and biocompatibility. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a calcium phosphate mineral that is a major component of bone and has excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. This research investigated the histopathological effects of polycaprolactone-hydroxyapatite (PCL-HA) nanocomposite scaffolds, along with their combination with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), on the regeneration of bone in rabbit calvarial bone defects.
Four circular full-thickness bone defects of 5 mm in diameter were created on the calvarial bone of 15 male New Zealand white rabbits. Three defects were filled with PRF, PCL-HA, and PCL-HA/PRF, while one defect served as a control with no filler. Histopathological evaluations were conducted at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-implantation. Data were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Significant differences were observed between the treatment and control groups regarding bone regeneration throughout all three months studied. In the first month, no significant differences in bone regeneration were noted among the treatment groups. Still, in the second month, most new bone formation was observed in the PCL-HA/PRF group (p < 0.05). Both PCL-HA and PCL-HA/PRF groups significantly improved bone regeneration compared to control and PRF groups, with the PCL-HA/PRF group demonstrating the greatest bone formation, vascularization, and lowest inflammation by the 12th week. Thus, PCL-HA/PRF can be considered a suitable alternative to bone grafts and is increasingly utilized in orthopedic surgery and bone tissue engineering.