Ostrich eggshell as a bone substitute: a preliminary report of its biological behaviour in animals – a possibility in facial reconstructive surgery

The aim of this study was to assess the biological behaviour of an implant of ostrich eggshell in various animal models of facial bone reconstruction. The implant was first bioassayed in a rat muscle pouch (n =10), and then tested as an interpositional graft in rat (n =10) and rabbit (n =5) cranial defects. It was finally used as an onlay graft on rabbit mandibles (n =5). Animals were killed after two months in the bioassay, three months in the interpositional model, and six months in the onlay model. The specimens were studied by contact radiography and standard histological techniques. All animals showed normal wound-healing. In the bioassay, the implants produced only a minimal inflammatory reaction. In the interpositional model, the implants maintained a good contour, but there was no sign of graft-remodelling. In the onlay model, the grafts were stable and partly osteointegrated. The onlay graft model gave the most promising results. Because ostrich eggshell is inexpensive and has good mechanical properties, it deserves further study. Long-term studies will clarify its possible role in maxillofacial surgery.