Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of liquid collagen and cross-linked collagen in treating bone defects.
In a prospective trial, the use of liquid collagen and a stiffer, slightly more rigid cross-linked collagen allograft was evaluated. Bone cavities resulting from curettage of cysts or tumours were filled with either liquid or cross-linked collagen. The collagen was extracted from donor allograft and mixed with minute particles of crushed cortical bone. Patients were monitored clinically, radiologically and haematologically for complications, including infection, rejection or allergic reactions.
There were five patients with osteoid osteoma, five with chondrosarcoma, two with bone cysts, five with osteitis and three with chondroblastoma. One patient each had enchondroma, ossifying fibroma, osteosarcoma, aneurysmal bone cyst, fibrous dysplasia, thickening of the tibial cortex, avascular necrosis, Ewing’s sarcoma, a luxstacortical ganglion and a tumour of the pubic symphysis. Eleven patients received liquid collagen and 32 cross-linked collagen. The use of liquid collagen was abandoned because it was too fluid to keep in the cavity. The cross-linked collagen, though more solid, could be introduced even through small holes in a bone or spinal cages. No allergic reactions occurred and the bone graft behaved similarly to a combination of allograft/autogenous graft.
Cross-linked collagen is as effective as any other allogenic bone product in bone cavities. In this series there were no complications attributable to the graft.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor M. B. E. Sweet. Correspondence should be addressed to him at The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical School, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 South Africa
