Abstract

The Replamineform process, a new technique for the fabrication of porous hard tissue implant materials which replicates the skeletal configuration of certain marine invertebrates, was used to manufacture 1 cm long by 0.5 cm diam cylinders. The inherent advantages of porous configurations obtained through this process are controlled, uniform pore size, controlled pore-microstructure ratio, and complete interconnection of pores. The specific materials studied were chrome-cobalt-molybdenum alloy, alphaA103, hydroxyapatite prepared by hydrothermal conversion, and the basic (aragonite) CaCO3 skeleton of the coral genus Porities. The implants were placed in the canellous bone of the distal femora and proximal tibiae of adult, mongrel dogs and analyzed at 8 weeks for tissue response and ingrowth. Uniformly, new bone was found to grow into the pores of these materials and become normally mineralized. These findings were determined by microradiography, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and histology. No evidences of infection, rejection, or encapsulation were seen. In the case of those CaCO3 implants left in place for 1 year, there was almost complete resorption of the cylinders, with both bony trabeculae and unmineralized collagen (presumably osteoid) found at the sites of insertion.