Radiographic evaluation of healing of critical size calvarial defect treated with silica-collagen-hydroxyapatite biocomposite graft and homologous platelet-rich plasma in rat model

Seventy two adult male Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into three groups with 24 rats. Calvarium of each rat was subjected to creation of 4.0 mm critical sized defect under general anaesthesia. The defect was treated with silica-collagen-hydroxyapatite biocomposite in Group I. Combination of silica-collagen-hydroxyapatite biocomposite with 50μL of freshly prepared homologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was applied into the defect in Group II. The defect of Group III was kept free of any biomaterial. Dorso-ventral radiographs of the rat skull were taken on the day of surgery, 2nd, 4th, 8th and 12th week to evaluate the healing of the defect. Gray scale of radiographic images were recorded and analysed by using Image J software. In the present study, the PRP treated group exhibited significant enhancement of the gray scale on 12th week compared to Group I and III and hence it was concluded that the silicacollagen- hydroxyapatite biocomposite along with PRP significantly increased the new bone formation in critical sized calvarial defects radiographically.