Histological study of experimental reconstructive materials for repair of lateral skull base and dura mater defects in dogs

Objective-In order to assess the reconstructive properties of fascia lata, superficial fascia lata and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) in skull base surgery, lateral skull base bone and dura mater defect models were established in dogs. Material and Methods-As a repair material we selected fascia lata, either alone or in combination with BMP, for reconstructing large cranial defects in dogs. Twenty dogs undergoing a 3.0 x 4.0 cm(2) full-thickness excision of the parietal bone were divided into four equal groups as follows: fascia lata reconstruction; fascia lata reconstruction plus BMP; controls; and fascia lata reconstruction plus BMP with direct exposure of fascia lata. The implants were harvested at 2-15 weeks and examined histologically. Results-Treated and untreated implants were quite different: formation of new bone occurred in the dogs treated with BMP whereas the unreconstructed controls demonstrated only a bridge of fibrovascular connective tissue. Conclusion-The results of this study suggest that it is better to combine BMP and reconstructive material for the treatment of bone defects.