Nano-Carbonated Hydroxyapatite from Bovine Bone Combined With Platelet-Rich Plasma Accelerates Fracture Healing in Rattus norvegicus Models

Fracture causes physical disability, psychological stress or even fatal to a patient. Autograft and allograft have long been used to improve fracture healing, but flaws limit their use. Xenograft from micro-carbonated hydroxyapatite (micro-CHA) and nano-CHA from bovine bone combined with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) was hypothesized to accelerate fracture healing. This study aimed to characterise micro-CHA and nano-CHA synthesized from bovine bone and analyze their effects as xenografts on fracture healing in Rattus norvegicus models. The micro-CHA was synthesized using thermal treatment at 720°C, and nano-CHA was made from the micro-CHA using nano-milling. The PRP was isolated from each rat. Twenty four rats were fractured at the right tibial bones and divided into four groups; control, micro-CHA, micro-CHA+PRP, and nano-CHA+PRP treatments. Characteristics of micro-CHA and nano-CHA were analysed using Particle Size Analyser (PSA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The course of fracture healings was analysed at 21 days post-treatment using Emery’s score and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney U statistics. Results showed that micro-CHA has a molecular formula of Ca₁₀(PO₄)₃(CO₃)₅(OH) and a crystallinity level of 89.97%. Nano-CHA has agglomerate sizes of 82.68 – 153.00 nm. Emery’s score in the nano-CHA+PRP group was highest amongst all groups (P<0.05). Emery’s score in the micro-CHA+PRP group was higher than that in the micro-CHA and control groups (P<0.05). Emery’s scores in the control and micro-CHA groups were similar (P>0.05). This study suggests that PRPsupplemented nano-CHA from bovine bone could accelerate fracture healing in rat models.