Evaluation of the Possible Synergic Regenerative Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Hydroxyapatite/Zirconia in the Rabbit Mandible Defect Model

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bioceramics such as hydroxyapatite (HA) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) are used to reconstruct mandibular defects. We sought to determine the synergistic effects of HA/ZrO2 and PRP and compare their osteogenic activity. Methods: ZrO2 scaffolds were constructed by the slurry method and were then coated with HA and impregnated by PRP/heparan sulfate (HS). Bilateral mandibular defects were created in 26 male rabbits. In 20 rabbits, the left defects were treated with HA/ZrO2/PRP (Group 1) and the corresponding right defects were filled with HA/ZrO2 (Group 2). The 6 remaining models were treated with PRP gels at both sides (Group 3). The osteoconductivity of HA/ZrO2/PRP was compared with that of HA/ZrO2 or PRP by radiological and histological methods after the follow-up period, at weeks 6, 8, and 12. The statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA and LSD using SPSS, version 16.0, for Windows (P