Behavior of bioactive glass-ceramic implanted into long bone defects: a scintigraphic study

The purpose of the study was to assess the long-term behavior and incorporation of the bioactive oxyhydroxyapatite glass-ceramic used to fill defects of long bones after curettage of bone cysts in 17 patients. The method of evaluation was a three-phase bone scintigraphy combined with radiographic and clinical evaluation. At a mean follow-up of 7 years, the glass-ceramic material had been completely incorporated. Mean uptake ratio was 1.31+/-0.25 after implantation of glass-ceramic in the metaphyseal region and 2.07+/-0.62 after implantation of glass-ceramic in the diaphyseal region (P<0.05). Mean uptake ratio was 1.40+/-0.30 in patients without persistent pain and 2.07+/-0.69 in patients who complained of pain in the area of synthetic filling (P<0.05). The bioactive glass-ceramic can be implanted into the metaphyseal defects of long bones, but this material is not suitable for filling the diaphyseal defects.