Improvement of Radio Opacity of Injectable Bone Substitute MBCP Gel^TM for Minimal Invasive Surgery MIS

Dedicated to Minimal Invasive Surgery MIS particularly in spine for vertebroplasty, the surgeons and radiologists ask for improvement of radio opacity, to be sure of the injection site, and to prevent injection in blood vessels. MBCP Gel® is an Injectible biomaterial non self hardening, the biomaterials consists of BCP granules associated with a hydrosoluble polymer. These materials have been shown to be perfectly biocompatible and potentially resorbable and, thanks to their initial plasticity, they assume the shape of the bone defects very easily, eliminating the need to shape the material to adjust to the implantation site. MBCP gels do not have mechanical properties like the hydraulic bone cements. However bone cells are able to invade the spaces created by the disappearance of the polymer carrier. Bone ingrowth takes place all around the granules at the expense of the resorption of the BCP granules. In time, the mechanical property is increased due to the presence of the newly formed bone. This study demonstrates an improvement of MBCP gel by freeze drying and reconstitution using iodine solution or sterile water in a classical model of rabbit bone defects.