Bone growth into porous high‐density polyethylene

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to delineate the process by which bone comes to fill the pores of porous high‐density polyethylene (PHDPE) implants. PHDPE (450μ pore size) pellets 4 mm in diameter and 1 cm long were implanted into the femurs of dogs. A bone biopsy procedure was utilized to obtain PHDPE pellets implanted for periods of 3 days through 8 weeks. A one‐year biopsy specimen taken from the PHDPE coating on the stem of a canine total‐hip prosthesis was also studied. The results demonstrated that significant amounts of bone formed within the PHDPE pellets as early as 14 days after implantation. Bone was identified throughout the specimens after 4 weeks. After 6 weeks, the tissue in the implants consisted of well‐developed lamellar bone spicules and healthy hematopoietic marrow. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized in conjunction with light microscopy and microradiography to study the ultrastructural features of the bone ingrowth process.